The Color Pink
by caithzadz
Summary: With a shaking hand, Sakura showed her the white stick. Nervously, Ino took the stick and stared open-mouthed at the little pink plus sign. When she looked up, Sakura's eyes were filled with tears. "I'm pregnant." SaixSakura
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 1- One night was all it took**

It was a brand new day. A ray of sunlight filtered through the glass window and sprayed across the jounin, Sakura Haruno's bedroom floor. Feeling the sun's heat, the kunoichi slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times in an attempt to get rid of sleep. A sudden stab of pain went through her head and she groaned.

Closing her eyes, she turned on her other side to hug her pillow. Taking in the mixed scent of ink and peppermint, she sighed.

_Wait, ink? Peppermint? _Sakura furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. _How did that happen? What happened to my Cherry Blossom air freshener? _When an arm snaked around her waist, she became even more confused and panicky. _Huh? Pillows don't hug you back!_

With her heart battering against her chest, the kunoichi untangled herself, sat up, and opened her eyes with dread. Her clothes were strewn all over the floor along with a familiar long-sleeved midriff shirt and matching pants.

_No… Please… Let it be someone else, anyone else… _

She turned her head to the person next to her. And screamed.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU BASTARD?" She tried to jump out of bed, but Sai's arm was still around her waist. Besides, she just realized that she wasn't wearing any clothes and the blanket was her only cover.

Stirred from sleep by her screeching, Sai opened his eyes and seeing her next to him, only blinked. "Hello," he said.

"Ahhhh!" Sakura grabbed the bedclothes and jumped out of bed. Seeing that Sai was also… unclothed, she screamed again and turned around, squeezing her eyes closed. "P-Put some clothes on!"

Sai didn't reply, simply shuffled around. Sakura waited, her eyes closed as tightly as she could_. Please let this be a dream! Please let this be a nightmare! Please! I did not sleep with Sai…. I did not sleep with this ink-using bastard._

"I'm decent," came his soft voice.

Red-faced and infuriated, the kunoichi turned to face him with a death glare. "How dare you take advantage of me!"

At first, he looked taken aback. Then, his lips upturned into amusement. "Me? Take advantage of you? You are gravelly mistaken, Hag. It was you who took advantage of me. I simply went along with it."

"WHAT?" she yelled at him. "I-I-I… I would never-"

"Oh, but you did." He kept that stupid fake-smile of his plastered on his face. "I wouldn't dream of ever sleeping with you, but you were quite persistent last night. Don't you remember?"

Sakura racked her brains. What did happen last night? The last thing she remembered was indulging herself in sake after sake with Ino. She must have had gotten drunk and…

"No…" Shaking her head, she backed to the wall. "No way. I wouldn't-"

"Ah… But you did."

"But I have no reason to! I know you're my friend Sai but I don't like you in _that_ way." She began pacing around the room. "There has to be a more acceptable, logical explanation to this-"

"There is no other explanation, hag." He was suddenly in front of her and heat rushed to her face. "Would you like me to help you recall?"

**Flashback**

The cocktail glass landed with a slam on the wooden bar table.

"One more round," the pinkette drawled to the bartender.

Beside her, a blonde-haired girl shook her head. "Forehead, don't you think you've had enough? You're beating Tsunade-sama's record."

"Leave me alone, pig!" Sakura snapped.

Ino sighed. "Look, I know Sasuke hurt you and all but-"

"Hurt me? Hurt me?" Sakura let out a sarcastic laugh. "Hurt is an understatement. It's more like he tore my heart from my chest, played with it before stabbing it multiple times then leaving it in the dirt." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "Five years. I waited for him to return for five years. And when he did, he told me he loved me. Six months of being together, one fight over something so stupid as me spending too much time at the hospital and he goes and gets a girl pregnant. And where does that leave me? Huh? Tell me Ino-pig, where does that leave me?"

With a wail, Sakura slumped head-first onto the table. Sighing, Ino rubbed her best friend's back, soothingly.

"What's wrong with the hag?"

Sakura raised her head and frowned. "What do you want, Sai?"

The ink-user just smiled before sitting on her other side. "Naruto told me you were here committing suicide."

Indeed, the blonde-haired jounin ran into him while Sai was on his way home and narrated Sakura's plight in a frantic tone. When asked why he couldn't take care of it himself, he was gone in a matter of twenty seconds. And being the "considerate" friend that he was, Sai decided to check on the kunoichi.

"Pfft, not committing suicide," Ino replied. "Just guaranteeing herself a heck of a hangover tomorrow morning. Sasuke dumped her."

Sakura growled. "He did not dump me! He betrayed me! But you know what?" She wagged a finger in front of her, shakily. "You know what? I've had it with the Uchiha!" She said the name with a lot of venom. "I've had it with Sasuke. He can die for all I care. Orochimaru can come back here and take him again and I wouldn't care."

The bartender placed another glass of sake in front of her. She grabbed it and downed the alcohol in two gulps. Wiping her lips with her hand, she called for another glass.

"No! No more!" Ino glared at the bartender. "Don't you dare give her another!"

The bartender looked fearfully at her before scampering away. Sakura frowned before glaring at her. "What are you doing, pig? I want another glass!"

"No, you don't! Come on!" The blonde tried to lift the twenty-year old from the bar stool. But it wasn't like Sakura was heavy. It was just that she wouldn't budge. "Ugh! Sai, help me here!"

Without a word, Sai stood up and before Sakura knew it, he had picked her up, bridal-style. She squirmed in his arms.

"Lemme down, you bastard! Lemme down!"

But Sai held on to her. After Ino had slammed down some ryos to pay for her one martini and Sakura's many sakes, the two exited the bar with Sakura still struggling to be free from Sai's arms. It was difficult to take a persistent, drunk kunoichi back to her apartment. She squirmed and squealed and cried and cursed at them. Sai's arm was aching from the pink-haired woman's constant moving, but he held onto her.

When they reached Sakura's apartment complex, Sai told Ino that he would take it from there and that the blonde should go home. After telling him that there was a spare key in the flower pot outside Sakura's door, Ino left for home. Sai carried a still struggling and cursing Sakura to her apartment. Finding the spare key exactly where Ino said it was, he carried her in. He had been here so many times before so he knew where her bedroom was. He gently placed the pinkette on the bed and was about to turn to leave when her hand yanked him back onto the bed next to her. Despite being drunk, she was still surprisingly strong.

The pink-haired girl giggled and snuggled to his side. "You know what, Sai? You're very handsome… You look a lot like Sasuke.'

Sai felt heat rush to his cheeks. She never called him handsome before.

She sniffed his neck. As her nose touched his skin, he shivered slightly. "Hmm… You smell nice too. Ink… Fresh paper… Mmm, and peppermint. I like peppermint."

He smelled nice? Really?

"I wish you were Sasuke. No, wait, forget it. Don't be Sasuke." She raised herself from the bed and plopped on top of him, ignoring his grunt of pain. "You're way better than Sasuke." Her fingers traced the contours of his face, leaving goosebumps on his skin. At his tomato-red face, she giggled again before smiling sadly. "Why can't it just be you? You call me names and everything." She brought her face close to his. "But at least you wouldn't hurt me, right? You wouldn't tear my heart out and leave it in the dust, right Sai? "

Without waiting for an answer, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. Surprised, Sai didn't know what to do. Sure, he was kissed before (by Ino, but that was another story and besides, he didn't have a choice when it happened) but how come Sakura's lips sent a different sort of electricity through him? Her tongue brushed his closed lips, begging for entrance. He let her in and felt like exploding as he responded to the kiss. Their tongues explored each other's mouth and noticing that Sakura's grip on him was weakening, he took the chance to grab her by the waist and flip her onto her back, his lips never leaving hers. She moaned and pulled him closer. Finally, his lips left hers and trailed to her chin down to her neck.

"Sai…" she sighed, her fingers locking themselves in his dark hair.

He kissed her on the lips again, his hand caressing her cheek. When her fingers tugged at his shirt with utmost urgency, Sai was brought back to his senses. He pulled his lips away from hers, reluctantly.

"S-Sakura-san, you're drunk. We shouldn't-"

"No!" With a great amount of strength, she pulled him back down to her lips. When she pulled away to look at him, he saw that she was crying. Her eyes were teary and her lips trembled. "Please Sai. Please. Help me forget him." She placed a hand on his cheek. "Please help me forget Sasuke."

She was pleading with him. Sai couldn't resist. There she was, giving herself to him. So he gave in.

**End of Flashback**

"… and that's what happened," Sai finished, still smiling. "Really now, hag, you can't blame me. In Naruto's words, I'm a man and I have weaknesses. You were offering yourself to me and I took it."

Meanwhile, Sakura had sunk on the bed and was running a hand through her tousled pink hair. She remembered now. She remembered the event that triggered everything: Sasuke's betrayal.

It was after Sakura decided to increase her hours at the hospital because she felt that she needed more time for herself. Sasuke had been much too possessive of her and monitored every action she took. Everything she did had to be approved by Sasuke and whenever he didn't like her being anywhere or with anyone, he expected her to go along with it or else he would leave her. Sakura didn't want him to leave her but she just felt so suffocated.

When Sasuke asked, no, _commanded_ her to lower her hospital hours, that was the last straw. The hospital was the only place where she could be free and do as she pleased, and he was going to take that away too? She confronted him about it which resulted into a full-scale fight that led to him being slapped and she being slapped in return. They made amends a week after the fight but a few days ago, Sakura found out that the night of the fight, he went to a club, went home with a girl, slept with her, and got her pregnant. And last night, she just broke down. And in an attempt to forget him, she used Sai. And lost her virginity.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, watching the carpet, refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm so sorry, Sai. That was so stupid of me last night-"

"Yes, it was."

"And I was drunk-"

"I know."

The pink-haired medic glared before sighing. "Look, how about we just forget last night happened, okay? It didn't mean anything."

Sai just looked at her. "Of course."

An awkward silence hung between them. Sakura was still red in embarrassment while Sai continued to smile at her. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he tell how wrong and humiliating the situation was? How could he remain calm?

Sakura cleared her throat. "Um… I don't mean to be rude, but will you please leave my room? You can use the shower in the guest room and fix yourself some breakfast in the kitchen."

"Okay." He left the room.

Sakura picked up her clothes from the floor and placed them in the hamper. After showering and changing into a new set of clothes, she met Sai in the kitchen. His hair was damp and he smiled at her as he placed a plate of eggs, rice, and a mug of coffee in front of her.

"For your hang-over," he said.

They ate breakfast in silence and afterwards, he helped her with the dishes.

"Well, hag. It's time for me to leave."

"Oh, sure."

He went to the door.

"Sai?"

"Hai?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Um… thanks."

He smiled. "No problem." He opened the door but before stepping out, he turned. "Oh, about your question last night, yes."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Excuse me?"

He continued to smile. "You asked whether I would not hurt you if we were together. And my answer is yes, I wouldn't hurt you."

Leaving a red-faced Sakura behind, he left.

* * *

A month later…

Ino tapped her foot, impatiently. "Sakura, you done in there?" She called through the bathroom door. "Come on, it's been more than three minutes! Show me!"

Slowly, the door opened and out came a lip-biting Sakura. Ino gave her an expectant look. "Well?"

With a shaking hand, Sakura showed her the white stick. Nervously, Ino took the stick and stared open-mouthed at the little pink plus sign. When she looked up, Sakura's eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm pregnant."

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 2- What now?**

Ino didn't know what to do. Sakura had broken down in front of her before whenever she had a fight with Sasuke. They were fre-nemies but Ino was always there for her. She wouldn't admit it but Sakura was one of her dearest friends and she saw her as a sort of role model. She was a strong-willed kunoichi. But at the news that she was pregnant, Ino didn't know what she could do to make her pink-haired friend stop crying. All she could manage was rub her back in what she hoped was soothing.

"W-What do I do, Ino?" Sakura sobbed. "H-How could I let this happen?"

"Well… On the bright side… At least you and Sasuke are no longer together, so it's not like you cheated on him," Ino blurted out, without thinking.

This made Sakura cry even more. Ino, in alarm, tried to backtrack. "Um… Why don't you go to Tsunade-sama? You know, these things can be wrong sometimes. You never know. And even if you are pregnant, I'm sure she'll help you figure out what to do."

Sniffling, Sakura considered it. "I-I guess." She flashed the blonde a weak smile. "Will you go with me?"

Returning the smile, Ino nodded. "Of course, forehead."

* * *

Inside the Hokage tower, Shizune stood behind her superior, anxiously awaiting the results of her examination of Sakura. It should have been done at the hospital where it was much more appropriate, but the pink-haired kunoichi insisted that she be examined right there and then. The Hokage finished scribbling the results of the examination on the form and set her pen down.

"Well Sakura, it's confirmed." Tsunade linked her hands together and placed them under her chin. Her face held a look of seriousness as she watched her favorite apprentice. "You're six weeks pregnant."

With those words, Sakura broke down. Ino placed an around her shoulders and rubbed her back. The blonde gave the Hokage a helpless look. "So the test wasn't wrong? You're sure?"

"I'm positive. She's with child." Tsunade sighed. Sakura was a good kid and responsible as well. Getting pregnant was the most unexpected action from her. But then again, she was an eighteen-year old, young woman and mistakes happen. "Now, what are you going to do?"

"Well, she was hoping you would tell her," Ino answered.

Tsunade chuckled. "I'm not the one who's going to have the child. But if you want my advice, tell the father and discuss what to do with him. That reminds me, Sakura, honey." The Hokage stood up and went around her desk to kneel in front of the kunoichi. She took her hand and said in a gentle voice, "I'm not being nosy or anything but this is standard procedure. You have to tell me the name of the father."

Sakura nervously looked up to her mentor's face and bit her lip. "I-I… Can I please not tell you, shishou?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sakura but this has to go on file. Don't worry, it's strictly confidential. No on else will see it unless he has your consent."

Lips trembling, Sakura whispered a name.

"What was that, honey?"

"I-It's… It's Sai."

Shizune gasped as Tsunade jumped back in surprise. Then, she grinned and patted Sakura's hand. "I see." She went back to her desk and scribbled his name down. "Well, it's about time."

"Eh?" Sakura gave her teacher a curious look.

The Hokage simply waved a hand. "Nothing. Forget what I said. Now, are you going to tell him?"

"I-I… I don't know." Sakura sighed. "I don't think it will make much of a difference. It was an accident, a mistake."

"I highly doubt that," Tsunade muttered to herself. Shaking her head, she gave the pinkette a gentle smile. "Look, Sakura, it's either you tell Sai or not. I just want you to know that he has every right to the child as do you. However, it's your decision."

"She's right, forehead," Ino added. "Sai has the right to know that you're pregnant with his child."

"I know, but-" Sakura started to say, but was interrupted with the door slamming open.

Tsunade and Shizune looked up as Sakura and Ino turned around. Sakura wanted to crawl under a rock and die because at that very moment, Naruto and Sai were at the door way. Both sported shocked and thunderstruck looks. But Sai's face looked more shocked as he stared at Sakura. His eyes wandered from her face to her stomach. Suddenly feeling conscious, Sakura placed an arm over her belly.

"Well… This is awkward," Tsunade stated. "Well Sai? I guess you've heard the good news? You're going to be a father."

Sai continued to stare at Sakura's stomach. Without another word, he marched in, grabbed the pink-haired girl's arm and, ignoring her protests, dragged her out of the office. Tsunade, Shizune, and Ino watched them disappear

Meanwhile, Naruto simply stood there, speechless. Finally, he fainted.

* * *

Outside the Hokage tower, Sai was pulling the struggling pink-haired kunoichi. Good thing there were not bystanders nearby, that would be embarrassing.

"Sai," Sakura grunted, trying to pry her arm free from his hold. "Let me go! What the hell is wrong with you?"

When he suddenly released her, she fell back but caught herself on time. He was silent, his back to her, refusing to meet her gaze. Sakura placed a hand over her stomach again, feeling anxious.

Gulping, she tried to say, "S-Sai-"

"I'm going to be a father," he suddenly said, turning to her. His face held a look of utter confusion. "How did this happen?"

Sakura blushed. "T-That night… You know… When we…"

"When we made love, yes, I remember." He said it straight out, no hint of embarrassment. Sakura cursed him for his ability to maintain a calm demeanor during a crisis such as this. "I know how babies are made, hag. I'm not that ignorant. What I mean is, how did this happen to us?"

The pink-haired kunoichi narrowed her eyes at him. She not only cursed him now. She was irritated. "Not to us, Sai! To me! I'm the one who's pregnant here! With your child!"

He tilted his head to the side. "I recall Ino saying that there was such a pill that could prevent unwanted pregnancies."

Sakura groaned. Now he was comparing her to Ino? What the hell? "Ino uses birth control pills, but I don't!"

He gave her a blank look. "I see. Well, this could all have been avoided if you used them as well."

"Oh, so you're blaming for this? You could have refused me that night!"

"I could have but as I've told you, you were persistent."

"I was drunk! I didn't know any better!"

"Exactly."

"All right you two, break it up!" Tsunade walked over to them, a nervous-looking Shizune and an amused Ino following behind her. "I will not have a spectacle in front of my tower, understood?"

Avoiding each other's eyes. Sai and Sakura nodded.

"Gomen, shishou."

"Gomenasai, Hokage-sama."

Massaging her temples, Tsunade looked at the ground and sighed. "Although this isn't my business, and trust me, I'd rather stay out of it. However, since neither of you are handling the situation in a mature way, I have to interfere. Now, I want you two to go somewhere and talk, reasonably. I don't care where as long as it doesn't result in anyone getting thrown at a tree or a building or anything at all. Discuss what you want to do with the baby and report back to me in three hours. Sai, I'll brief you and Naruto on your mission then. Besides, he's in no condition to hear it anyway, the poor boy fainted at the news." She stared them both down. "Now, go."

With her head held high, she turned on her heels and returned to her office, Shizune faithfully following her. Meanwhile, Ino turned to the two. "Uh… You guys can use my place, if you want."

Sai shook his head. "It's all right, Ino-san. We'll go to my apartment."

Ino flashed Sakura a smirk. "Have fun. But not too much fun, 'kay?"

"PIG!"

The blonde giggled as she walked away. "Kidding!"

Reluctantly, Sakura turned to Sai. "Um… Your place then?"

Without a word, Sai nodded and led the way.

* * *

Entering the apartment, Sai gestured to the sofa. "Have a seat."

Sakura sat down while he went to the kitchen and busied himself with making tea. She looked around. She had been here a few times before but never long enough to fully observe. It usually was go to Sai's, inform him of a mission, then leave.

Sai's apartment was definitely an artist's studio; filled with easels and scrolls of many sizes. A few sketchpads with unfinished sketches lay open on top of the coffee and kitchen tables. Brushes of different sizes were neatly arranged next to bottles of black ink. On the walls were paintings and sketches; some had titles but others didn't. One of the sketches was of the new Team Kakashi minus Sasuke. Sai must have drawn it while the Uchiha was still a Konoha traitor.

"Here."

Sai brushed aside some of the sketchpads before placing a tray of tea on the coffee table. He poured some in a cup and gave it to her before pouring himself a cup. Sitting on the armchair next to the sofa, he sipped the tea quietly. Sakura did the same. At first, they stayed in silence, unsure of what to say. They didn't speak to each other the whole way to the apartment so neither had a clue as how to start the conversation about their future child.

Finally, Sakura gathered her guts. After placing the cup of tea on the table, she cleared her throat loudly before saying, "What do we do now?"

Mimicking her actions, Sai placed his tea next to hers. He leaned back on the sofa and stared at the floor. "I don't know. What does one usually do in a situation like this?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Usually, the two involved would tell their parents. But seeing that you have none and neither do I, that's not an option."

Sai started. Of the two years that he had known her, he never once bothered to ask about her family. She never talked about them so he never knew. Did Sakura grow up alone and on her own, like he did?

"What happened to your parents?" he asked, quietly.

"Eh? That's hardly the subject here!"

He didn't reply. Sakura sighed, picked up her cup again and took a sip. Smacking her lips, she placed it back down before saying, "They died while on a mission, shortly after I entered the Academy. I was raised by a family friend and when Tsunade-shishou took me in as an apprentice, I began living with her and Shizune until they got me my own apartment when I passed the Chuunin exams."

"Oh," was all he said.

Silence overpowered the room once more. Sakura didn't know what else to tell him. Though she grew up tending to herself, she had no experience in this area. She didn't know anyone who got pregnant and heck, she didn't even know that she was going to get pregnant before she got married!

She placed a hand on her belly and rubbed it gently. She needed a solution. "There's also… Terminating the pregnancy," she whispered.

For a second, Sakura considered it. She had a whole life ahead of her! She had huge plans! She was going to be the greatest medical nin in all of Konoha, possibly the world. Having a baby and raising a family were part of her plans but not until the near future when she had accomplished most of her goal. But not now! Not now when she was still working on it!

"No, what am I thinking?" she said aloud. "What's wrong with me?"

Abortion was not a solution! Besides, this wasn't about her! This was about the child, _her_ child. She was no longer tending to herself. Now, she had to tend to two. There was another human being growing inside of her who needed her. And Sakura would do anything for this child.

"What did you mean by terminating the pregnancy?" Sai asked, innocently. "I am not yet familiar with that term."

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing. Forget I ever said it. We're not getting rid of the baby."

Sai furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Get rid of the baby? What…" Then, his eyes widened in realization. He gave her a look of dismay. "You were going to-?"

"I was considering it for five seconds!" Sakura said, quickly. "I'm not going to do it. _We're_ not going to do it. Okay? Look." She sighed deeply. "We need to figure out how to take care of this. 'Cause I don't know okay? I really don't. It's not like we can get married or something."

The artist gave her a questioning look. "Why not?"

Sakura blushed a scarlet red. "Because! This baby wasn't a love-child or anything. He was an accident. He wasn't created out of love! He was created because I decided to get drunk to forget the jerk that was my ex-boyfriend!"

Despite her outburst, Sai suddenly grinned. "How are you certain that it's a 'he'?"

She groaned. "That's not what we're talking about here! Don't change the subject, baka!" Shaking her head, she stood up. "You know what, tell shishou that we can't decide on a solution right now. Tell her we need time. I… I just can't handle this right now, Sai." She walked to the door and waved a hand. "I'll see you around."

And with that, she left his apartment.

* * *

A few days later…

"You know, if you keep staring at the ground, it will swallow you up," Yamato commented.

Sai looked up from his staring contest with the forest floor and blinked. "Oh. Gomenasai, taichou. I was just… thinking."

The Anbu nodded. "About Sakura, eh?"

"What about Sakura-chan?" Naruto came out of the trees, bearing the pot of water he was commanded to get. He placed it over the fire to be boiled and sat next to his dark-haired teammate. "You're not still thinking of what to do with the baby, are you?" The blonde sounded annoyed.

The artist simply smiled and said, "As a matter of fact, I am."

After Sai told Tsunade what Sakura said about not being able to come up with a solution, the Hokage gave them three days until after Sai came back to Konoha to decide what to do, or Tsunade would make the decision for them. Meanwhile, Naruto almost pummeled Sai into a pulp and released his Rasengan on him, if Tsunade had not stopped him from doing so. Even though he was now calm about it, he was still furious that the artist had gotten his surrogate sister pregnant, and right after Sasuke-teme dumped her too! Though the blonde and Sasuke were still on speaking terms, Naruto had not yet forgiven him for hurting Sakura. And apparently, he had not forgiven Sai for getting her pregnant yet either. But at least he seemed more gentle than he had been with Sasuke.

Speaking of Sasuke, Sai still wasn't sure whether he knew about Sakura and the baby. The last thing he heard, Sasuke refused to marry the woman he got pregnant, but instead, offered child support. However, if Sasuke did find out about the baby while Sai was away, the artist just hoped that the Uchiha wouldn't do anything to Sakura. Sai wasn't in Konoha to protect her and their child.

For the past couple of days since they left the village, Sai found himself worrying more and more about Sakura and the baby than the mission. He thought about them every single minute and dreamt of them every night. For once, Sai wanted to back out of this mission and return home. Before he left, he went to the library and checked out a book on pregnancy. He hoped that Sakura was eating well; Konoha had plenty of supplies of fruits and vegetables and Sai prayed that she was eating them so that baby would become strong and healthy. He also hoped that she was sleeping well; Sakura worked majority of nights at the hospital and hopefully, she was taking extra caution to make sure she could squeeze in some rest.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Naruto casually asked.

Sai shrugged. "I'm not certain yet." He looked up at the blonde. "Naruto, what do people normally do in such situations?"

Naruto pursed his lips to the side. "Hmm… Well, usually they would tell their parents."

Sai tilted his head. "Yes, Sakura mentioned that. She also mentioned marriage." He gave Naruto a confused look. "But she didn't want to marry me."

"Of course she doesn't want to marry you," the blonde answered, nonchalantly. "It's not like you love her and she loves you. Then you could marry her."

"But sometimes, they don't have to be in love," Yamato added. Both boys looked at him. He shrugged. "I'm just saying that some married couples never married for love. They either married because they were supposed to or," he looked at Sai. "The woman got pregnant and the only way to secure the baby's future is to marry."

Sai scrunched up his face, even more puzzled. "I'm not sure I comprehend, Yamato-taichou."

Yamato grinned, slightly. "It's simple." He positioned his arms as if he was holding a baby. "Baby plus mommy plus daddy equals a good upbringing. Not that being raised by someone else is a bad thing," he added quickly at the glares they were giving him. He dropped his hands to his knees. "What I mean to say is that the child will be happier and will have a much better chance at having a bright future ahead of him-"

"Or her," Sai interrupted.

"Or her," the Anbu agreed. "If he or she have both parents raising him or her, he or she will have guidance and won't fall into the wrong hands and become evil. And not just that, two shinobi parents will definitely result in a future strong shinobi. But," he raised both hands. "It's up to you and Sakura to decide, the rest of us are just here to guide you."

"Yeah, now that I think about it," Naruto added, a thoughtful look on his face. "Since you and Sakura-chan are probably the last of your clan, you'll be able to rebuild a new clan of Harunos and… whatever your last name is."

"Or you can just marry for the love of your child," Yamato said.

"Yeah, what he said."

"Oh. I see." Sai took in this information and refrained from speaking the rest of the night. Marry for the love of their child? Does he love the child? From a few of his readings, he knew that a father loved his child no matter what. Rebuild his clan? Aside from his adopted brother, he never knew any other family. He grew up and was raised in Root, but they weren't his family. They didn't even give him a last name. He was aware that in marriage, the woman takes the man's last name as her own. So if he and Sakura marry, what last name would he give her?

That night, as Sai tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, he made his decision.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 3- A proposal?**

Hearing the ruffle of leaves despite the absence of wind, Konoha's guards shook exhaustion from their bodies and prepared themselves. However, they found that they had nothing to worry about. Landing gracefully outside the village gates, they welcomed home Team Kakashi. The three shinobis were praised on another successful mission and the team was ready to take a well-deserved break.

"You two go on ahead your merry way," Yamato told Naruto and Sai. "I'll report to Tsunade-sama."

And with that, he left in a puff of smoke. Naruto turned to Sai, pumping a fist into the air in triumph. "Alright! So, you wanna go to Ichiraku's and celebrate?"

Sai considered this and nodded.

At Ichiraku's, as they waited for their order, the artist turned to the jinchuriki. "Naruto, I have to ask you something," he said.

"Oh no." Naruto shook his head and waved his arms in front of him. "I am not lending you any money. I barely have enough for five bowls of ramen."

Sai sweat dropped before grinning, sheepishly. "As much as I would love for you to pay for my meal, that is not my question."

"Oh." The blonde sighed in relief. "Thank Kami. So, uh, what do you need?"

Sai, with no hint of shame or embarrassment, asked him straight out, "How do you ask someone to marry you?"

Five seconds later, Sai was thrown out of the restaurant. Kakashi, who happened to be passing by, dropped his book and caught the artist right on time as he flew in his direction.

* * *

"Ino, this is really unnecessary," Sakura complained as Ino dragged her around the department store. "It's too early to buy baby clothes."

"What are you talking about, forehead?" Ino went through a rack of sweaters. "It is never too early for clothes shopping. And besides, we may never get another sale on baby clothes again, so you might as well take the opportunity to get them."

"But we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet."

"Duh, that's why we're picking neutral colors." She held out a yellow, baby-size sweater before placing it in Sakura's already full basket. Tapping her index finger against her chin, she continued to scan the rack. "Let's see, how about sky-blue, forest green, and white?" She added the sweaters into the pile, grabbed Sakura's arm and dragged her to another rack. "This is so exciting!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I think the future godmother is more excited than the mother herself." The pinkette didn't know what she was thinking when she agreed to make Ino the godmother.

"I know!" Ino squealed, dumping more and more clothes into the basket. "Be prepared forehead, I will be spoiling the little sucker."

"Whoopee," Sakura muttered sarcastically. Inwardly though, she smiled. She was glad that Ino was supporting her all the way. They even planned to live together once the baby comes, so that Ino could help her raise the little tyke.

A few days ago, Sakura decided that she doesn't care whether Sai would help her in supporting the baby or not, she was keeping it. Once he comes back from his mission, she would be telling him not to worry any further because she would do it herself. Sai didn't have to concern himself with the child and he could go on his merry life and Sakura would raise the child herself, with Ino in the sidelines, of course.

As Ino chattered on and on and dumped more clothes in the already full basket, Sakura brought a hand to her belly and rubbed gently, a soft smile playing in her lips.

* * *

Sai and Naruto made their way throughout the Hokage tower towards Tsunade's office.

It had taken a while for Naruto to calm down at Sai's decision to marry Sakura. A long while. Kakashi had to be nearby just in case the blonde exploded again as Sai explained his decision. He was going to ask Sakura to marry him for the security of their child's future and making sure that he or she would be a happy child. Sai never felt the love and protection of a parent and he didn't want that for his child. After explaining all these to Naruto, the blonde had to sigh.

"Fine," he relented before wagging a finger at Sai. "I'm doing this for my future godchild. _But_, if you hurt Sakura and the kid in any way at all you baka, get ready to change your name and move to another village, because I will hunt you down and shoot you with my Rasengan. Got it?"

Sai had simply smiled before nodding.

So, Naruto had to tell him all about engagement rings and how to propose to a girl. Through Sai's insistence, the jinchuriki was forced to accompany him to the jewelry store that same day so he could buy a ring. Sai didn't have much in his savings, but he managed to get a decent-looking engagement ring at a decent price.

Now, however, he had to inform Tsunade of his decision. Naruto told him to propose first then tell Tsunade, but they couldn't find Sakura anywhere so Sai decided to let Tsunade know first. Naruto had shrugged but went along, just in case.

Shizune allowed them to enter and Tsunade looked up from reading a mission report. "Naruto, Sai, Yamato already gave me your mission report. Good job by the way."

They bowed.

"Thank you Hokage-sama, but that is not what we came for," Sai said.

Tsunade lifted an eyebrow. "I see. Well, what is it then?"

Without hesitation, Sai answered, "I wish to inform you that I shall be proposing to Sakura Haruno as soon as possible and the baby will be raised by the both of us."

Naruto had never seen the Hokage more shocked than at that moment. Tsunade's jaw dropped in shock and remained as it was for the longest of minutes. Her eyes stared blankly at Sai.

"Uh, baa-san?" Naruto waved a hand over her eyes. "You okay?"

Tsuande blinked then shook her head. Brushing Naruto's hand away, her eyes concentrated on Sai. "Are you sure of that, Sai?"

The dark-haired artist nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade massaged her temple. "Since you said that you're planning on proposing to Sakura, I'm guessing she doesn't know your decision, yet."

"Iie, Hokage-sama. Naruto and I couldn't find her so I haven't, as Naruto said, 'popped the question' yet."

Tsunade sighed. "Which means she hasn't informed you then?"

Both boys gave her confused looks.

"What do you mean, my lady?"

"What are you talking about, baa-chan?"

The older woman took in a deep breath before making eye contact with Sai. "She came to me two days ago, while the two of you were still on your mission. Like you, she wanted to tell me first because you weren't here, but she planned to let you know once you came back. Sai," she held his gaze. "Sakura wants to keep the baby and raise it on her own. She said she doesn't need any child support from you, and that you don't have to concern yourself with the baby nor even fulfill your duties as father."

Sai frowned. "Hokage-sama… I'm not sure I comprehend…"

Tsunade sighed again and gave the artist a sympathetic look. "She wants to raise the child by herself, without you."

"What?" Naruto blurted out in fury. "But that's selfish! Sai has the right to the baby too!"

Meanwhile, a strange feeling was taking over Sai. It was a new feeling. It made his heart throb, painfully and his eyes sting with tears. He couldn't breath. He felt like a thousand kunais and shurikens had been thrown at him and was tearing him limb from limb.

He placed a hand to his chest, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"You okay, buddy?" Naruto asked, in concern.

"I'm not quite sure," he replied. "I have the strangest feeling. I feel like… I feel like I've been injured, but there's no wound." He continued to look puzzled. "But… there is a wound. It feels like it's right about here." And with that, he tapped his chest. "I feel like I've been stabbed right here." He turned his head to the blonde. "What am I feeling, Naruto?"

The blonde turned to Tsunade who simply tilted her head. "That's called hurt, Sai," she replied. "You were hurt by Sakura's decision. Not physically, but emotionally." She shrugged. "Can't really blame you. If I was told that I could never be a part of my child's life, I'd be pretty pissed too."

"Oh," was all Sai said. Was this the feeling? Was he… hurt? Sai contemplated then decided that, yes, he was hurt. He was never emotionally hurt before. So, this must be what Sakura and Naruto had been feeling whenever Sasuke kept denying them back when the Uchiha was still a traitor. This must be what Sakura felt whenever she ran to him after Sasuke hurt her with their fights. This must be why she always cried and stained his clean shirt with salty tears.

Sai remembered the night they made love, she asked him whether he would hurt her like Sasuke did, he thought she meant that the Uchiha was hurting her physically so he vowed that he would kill the bastard when he had the chance. When Sai replied the next day that no, he wouldn't hurt her, he meant he wouldn't hurt her physically. But now, realizing that the hurt she meant was emotional, Sai decided that, no, he wouldn't hurt her emotionally either. He didn't want Sakura to feel this way. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. And she had enough hurt from Sasuke.

"Not be a part of my child's life," Sai repeated aloud. "But, I want to be a part my child's life."

Naruto groaned while Tsunade smirked.

"Then what are you waiting for, you baka!" Naruto all but yelled at him. "Find Sakura-chan and tell her!"

"Tell her?"

"Yeah! Tell her that you're not backing out and that you want to be with your baby too! Propose to her, doofus! Go!"

And to Tsunade's surprise and amusement, the blonde forcefully pushed his dark-haired teammate out of the office and shut the door. He placed his ear on the door, listening intently. When he heard Sai's footsteps disappear, he breathed and turned to Tsunade. He saw an amused smirk playing on her lips.

"What?" he asked.

Tsunade chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day when you'd push Sakura towards a guy, and to Sai no less. I remember when you used to obsess over my little apprentice." The Hokage let out a nostalgic sigh. "Those were the days."

Naruto blushed, embarrassed and laughed, softly. "Well, that was a long time ago; I have Hinata-chan now. Besides, I think Sakura deserves a happy ending after all that Sasuke-teme put her through."

With this, his smile disappeared as well as Tsunade's. The Hokage sighed.

"Naruto, do you mind if I give you a C-rank mission? You don't have to leave the village for this and you can enlist the help of other shinobis."

"Uh, sure, I guess. What is it?"

Tsunade flashed him a serious look. "Sasuke has not yet been informed of Sakura's pregnancy. I've already told Ino to keep her mouth shut about it and she promised. However, word gets around fast and I won't be surprised if one of these days, Sasuke would hear about it. Now, I know Sasuke is your friend and he has paid his time in prison for his betrayal all those years ago. However, you and I both know how he is with Sakura, and you can't deny the fact that he has played with her heart far too long."

Naruto let out a sad sigh. "I know."

Tsunade tilted her head down. "It's up to Sakura whether she would tell him or not. But… I'm scared for her. I'm scared of what Sasuke might do to her when he finds out, especially after Sakura begins showing. So your mission," she looked up at him. "Is to protect her."

The blonde smiled, slightly. "You don't even have to ask. Sakura is like my sister and I'll protect her from anyone, even Sasuke."

The Hokage smiled in gratitude. "Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto chuckled. "Besides, even without my help, I think Sai can protect her all by himself. I mean, sometimes, whenever she and Sasuke had a fight and Ino's not around, she'd come running to Sai first; I guess it's because since Sasuke's my best friend, she thought that I'd side with him or something. Besides, the last thing I want is to get in between those two; I hate choosing sides. And Sai… Well… Even if that teme teases her all the time, I know he cares for her a lot. You may not know this baa-san, but Sai gets really serious when protecting Sakura during missions, even more serious than me, surprisingly."

"Really?" Tsuande placed a hand under her chin, an eyebrow raised and a smirk playing in her lips. "Do tell."

* * *

It was now sunset. Ino was walking Sakura to her apartment. Each girl carried two shopping bags. Ino really let herself go with buying her future godchild's necessities. When asked by the cashier which of them was pregnant, Ino replied it was for a friend. Technically, she didn't lie; it was for her friend. Even when Sakura told her that she didn't have enough to pay for everything the blonde picked, Ino paid for most of it. Sakura was rather impressed; the baby wasn't even born yet and the pig was already spoiling it. The pinkette was interested to see what happens after the baby comes.

"… and remember to drink lots of milk," Ino was saying. "It's not just good for you but for the baby too. Remember that brand I told you about? Okaa-san said that was what she drank while pregnant with me and look how I turned out."

"I should avoid that brand then," Sakura joked.

Ino gave her a glare. "Whatever, forehead. But I want my future godchild to be good-looking and healthy. Oh, speaking of health, are you eating those fruits I bought you yesterday? Those will be good for the baby."

"Yes, Ino, I know. I'm a medic too you know."

"I hope you're sleeping alright as well."

The two girls paused. That question didn't come from Ino. It came from a husky, masculine, emotionless voice behind them. Slowly, they turned and Sakura was relieved to see Sai.

"Hey, you're back." She smiled at him. "We need to talk."

"I already know," he said. "Tsunade-sama told me."

"Oh, I see. Well then, what do you think?" Sakura brushed a stray strand of pink hair behind her ear. "It's not a bad idea. You don't have to worry about anything and-"

She squeaked in surprise and dropped her shopping bags when Sai grabbed her arms and brought his face close to hers. Sakura could feel the heat rush to her cheeks. She could smell the ink and… is that peppermint? How on earth did he manage to smell like peppermint? Ink and peppermint were a strange combo in scent, but for some reason, on Sai, it was… sexy.

"I don't agree," he drawled. "I don't want you to raise our child alone. I want to help you."

"Eh? B-But Sai, it's better-"

"No, it's not," he insisted, letting her go. "Just because my child doesn't know who I am, doesn't change the fact that I am still the father. I have a responsibility." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box.

_Oh Kami. What is he doing? Please don't tell me-_

"Sakura, I want you to marry me," he said, without hesitation, as if he was simply telling her the time of day. He held out the box to her. "This way, our child will have two parents who will love him and support him all the way so that he wouldn't turn evil in the future."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would he turn evil?" she asked, rhetorically.

Sai answered anyway. "Because he doesn't have two loving parents who will guide him."

She sweat dropped. Who on earth told him something so ridiculous? She vowed to find Naruto tomorrow and make him spill what happened during that mission of theirs.

Beside Sakura, Ino had started to laugh. Hysterically. Her own shopping bags had fallen to the ground as she reeled over with laughter, holding her stomach.

"Oh, this is better than T.V." she managed in between giggles. She waved her hand at them. "Keep going!"

Sakura glared at her before turning to Sai. "Look, Sai, marriage isn't necessary. You're overreacting and I highly doubt our child would turn evil in the future. If you want to be a part of his life, then it's fine, I'll let you. But marriage, Sai, that's a huge step and a huge responsibility. I… I don't think I can handle marriage yet. Besides, I want to marry for love-"

"But we are marrying for love, aren't we?"

At his words, Sakura's heart began beating faster. Was he saying that he was in love with her?

"We're marrying for love of our child. That should be enough reason," he continued.

Sakura breathed in relief. _Okay, good. _

Meanwhile, Sai had taken her hand and placed the now open velvet box on her palm. The ring was beautiful! It had a silver band and a single diamond at the center with two pink gems on either side. It wasn't her dream engagement ring, but she still appreciated its beauty. Sakura was touched. He was willing to spend money on something as beautiful and expensive as this? For her?

She touched it gingerly before shaking her head and returning it to him. "I'm sorry, Sai."

He took the box, closed it, and put it back in his pocket. His face was an emotionless mask. She could tell he was trying to determine what emotion he was feeling. He looked at her. "Will you at least think about it?"

He sounded so sad and lost that Sakura couldn't help but sigh and say, "Alright. I'll think about it. Give me some time, okay? And I think you should think about it too. I mean, do you really want to marry me? Don't answer that now," she quickly added when he started to reply.

Looking at her curiously, he nodded.

"Well then, now that that's taken care of, why don't you take her home now, Sai?" Ino said, a mischievous grin on her face. She grabbed the fallen bags and thrust them in his hands. "Have fun you two!"

"Ino!" Sakura screamed in dismay as Ino quickly walked away. "Come back here!"

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Sighing, she turned to Sai. "Um… You don't have to, you know."

He put on a smile. "I don't mind. I've done it before."

As they walked to her apartment, Sai looked at the bags, curiously. "What are these?"

"Baby clothes. For the baby. Ino bought most of them."

"I see. May I look at them?"

"Sure, um, help yourself. They're for… uh… your baby too." She laughed, nervously.

It felt really awkward talking about a baby with Sai. For one, she always imagined Sasuke to be the father of her children and though Sai looked like him, he wasn't Sasuke. Did Sai even like kids? Watching him go through the bags with a look that she could only decipher as pure childish wonder and excitement, she decided, yes, maybe he did like kids. He was even offering to marry her because of their baby!

They reached her apartment and she assured him that she was alright from then.

"Besides, it's still early in the pregnancy so I'll be fine," she told him.

He looked at her face then her stomach. He held out a hand then stopped. "Um… May I, Sakura-san?" He gestured to her stomach, shyly.

She blushed. "S-Sure."

Tentatively, he placed his hand on her stomach. Then, his face broke into a true, soft smile before taking his hand away. "Arigatou. I must be going now. Take care, Sakura-san."

Without another word, he turned and walked away. Meanwhile, Sakura watched as he disappeared before walking into her apartment. As she placed the bags on the couch, she realized that the whole time they were talking, he never once called her "Ugly" or "Hag,"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 4- Sasuke's discovery**

Two months passed. Sakura was now twelve weeks pregnant and the kunoichi found that despite the fact that her reputation had been marred by one mistake, she was actually pretty excited. She was no longer as worried nor scared as when she first found out about the baby. However, it was getting harder and harder to hide the swell of her stomach and she could feel the curious eyes of civilians wherever she went, but the kunoichi was ready to face whatever came her way. Sai too, it seemed, was looking forward to being father.

Surprisingly, the ex-root member was taking the situation far better than Sakura expected. One day, she saw him exiting the library with a stack of books on pregnancy and parenting, which she later found scattered all over his apartment: _Guide to Pregnancy_; _So You're Having A Kid?_;_ Child-rearing for Bakas_; _Fatherhood 101_; _Pregnancy: What To Do and Not Do_. Later on, she was told that he went to Tsunade and requested that she refrain from sending Sakura to missions until at least a month after the child arrived. Her shishou, of course, agreed; as a medic, she knew the risks of missions to the fetus' development. Besides, Sakura was like a daughter to her, so she didn't want anything to happen to her; plus, Sakura promised that she could be the child's grandmother, so this was officially her first grandchild.

In addition, Sai had become an _almost_-perfect gentleman. Once though, he made the mistake of saying that she was "getting fatter and fatter everyday." It wasn't meant as an insult, simply an observation of her swelling stomach. Nevertheless, he was thrown across Team Kakashi's training field and his existence ignored for a whole week. Taking pity on him, Kakashi finally told him that pregnant women were more prone to anger, especially when it came to physical looks. Sakura finally forgave him when he showed up at her doorstep bearing gifts to appease her anger: food she'd been craving and maternity clothes. Heeding Kakashi's advice, Sai never attempted commenting on her weight again, at least for the time being.

Sakura also appreciated the fact that besides that one time when he proposed to her in front of Ino, Sai never brought up marriage again. Although it was never discussed, the proposal never left Sakura's mind.

One night, after telling her baby all about her day and singing to it as she did every night, she had a sudden thought.

"Hey baby? Do you want mommy to marry your daddy? Would you like that? Would you like it if I marry your daddy?" It was a foolish question; what child didn't want that? She sighed. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt to give him a shot right?" She rubbed her stomach, affectionately. "He's been taking really good care of me; bringing me fruits every change he gets, waiting for me whenever I had the late-night shifts at the hospital. You know, I never felt so… taken care of before. When I was with Sasuke, he never did anything like what your daddy's doing for me."

Unlike Sasuke, who was protective to the point of putting her in a cage, Sai was also protective but gave her freedom when he knew she needed it. He wasn't too keen on Sakura working late-night shifts but knowing her love and dedication to her career as a medic, he simply made sure that she wasn't working too late and that she was safe on her way home. Most of all, he was there for her. Always.

* * *

It was another normal day in Konoha. Villagers went about their normal, everyday business. For others, however, this day was a first for a new experience. That morning, Sakura dressed in a red maternity top, pink skirt, and her everyday black boots. She stuffed a messenger bag with a few kunais and shurikens just in case, as well as her wallet. At exactly ten o'clock in the morning, a knock came on her apartment door. She opened it to see Sai with a wide smile on his face. He waved "Hello."

"Ohayou, Sakura-san," he said. "Ready to go?"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at his enthusiasm. "Is it just me or are you excited?"

He tilted his head to the side. "Aren't you?"

She just sighed and tilted her head. "Let me get my bag."

A few minutes later, the two were on their way to Konoha's Hospital, side by side in silence. Tsunade had insisted on a monthly check-up for Sakura and the baby; today was the very first. Sakura told Sai that he didn't have to go, yet he insisted on accompanying her.

"As the father, I wish to be aware of my child's well-being," he had told her and knowing that he had the right to that, she allowed him.

When they arrived, the Hokage was waiting for them.

"Hello you two," she greeted. "Right on time. You ready, Sakura?"

The pinkette gulped before looking at Sai. He smiled, encouragingly. Returning his smile, she nodded at Tsunade. "We're ready," she said.

"Good. This way you two."

As they followed the older woman, Sakura bit her lip, nervously. There was no reason for her to be nervous, but for some reason, she was. Maybe it was because she was going to know whether she had been taking good care of the baby? What if her being workaholic had somehow affected the baby's growth? Or her not eating right (she had been eating a lot these days)? When she felt Sai's hand clasp her own, she felt a little calmer.

"Relax, Sakura-san," he coaxed. "It's not like you're giving birth already."

"Haha, funny," she retorted, but smiled at his attempt to make her feel better.

An hour later, the Hokage bid them a good day as they left the hospital.

"Hey Sai, thanks for going with me today," Sakura said, flashing him a grateful smile.

He smiled back. "It was my pleasure. What do you want to do now?"

Sakura's hand immediately flew to her stomach. "I'm kinda in the mood for odango."

"Odango?"

She nodded.

"Alright, odango for lunch then."

He took her to a restaurant that served the best odango in Konoha. When they arrived and took a seat, Sakura found that she was not only in the mood for odango, but for ramen as well. The place's ramen wasn't as good as Ichiraku's but Sai ordered some anyway. He smiled in amusement at the pinkette's excitement when the food arrived.

"I'm so glad that shishou said the baby was healthy," Sakura said, taking a bite of the sweet treat. "Just six more months and we'll see him."

"Or her," Sai added.

Sakura nodded in agreement before beginning to devour the ramen.

Watching her, Sai was glad that she was happier now compared to those first few weeks when she was moody and sulky all the time. Having read and consumed as much information as he could, he was now aware that her constant changes in moods as well the food cravings were caused by hormones. He strived to always make sure she was happy and comfortable; he knew that she found his efforts irritating but he wanted to do it. He wanted to be there for her. Sai never though of the possibility of ever having a family, especially with his lack of emotions, yet here it was. And he would do anything for Sakura and the baby.

After lunch, they met up with Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato for training. Though Sakura couldn't train while she was pregnant, they still needed her around, just in case they were seriously injured. She would sit in the sides, cheering them on or criticizing their moves. It was already night by the time Team Kakashi decided to disband for the day and as always, Sai and Naruto walked Sakura home.

"Did you see me beat Yamato-taichou today?" the blonde excitedly chattered. "Ha! The look on his face was priceless! I told him I'd get even after last week!"

Sakura laughed. "I have to admit, Naruto. That was impressive."

He flushed at her praise and smirked before turning to Sai. "It's your turn next week, teme. I'm gonna kick your butt!"

Sai simply smiled. "We'll see, dickless."

"Hey! Sakura-chaaan!"

"Sai, that wasn't very nice."

"Forgive me, Sakura-san."

"Sakura."

At the new voice, the three looked up. A sullen-looking Sasuke was waiting outside Sakura's apartment, leaning against a wall. He took one look at her slightly-swollen stomach before sneering and pushing himself off the wall.

"So, it is true. You are pregnant. I suppose this is why you've been avoiding me for the last couple of months?" He turned to Sai with venom in his eyes. "It's his child, I presume? It can't be Naruto's, he's too faithful to Hinata, unlike you with me Sakura."

"S-Sasuke-kun," Sakura began.

"I wasn't aware that you were told of the news, traitor," Sai said, his face now an emotionless mask. "Yes, I am the father of Sakura's child. However, I am also aware that you were unfaithful to her first."

"Sai…" Sakura pleaded. He took one look at her and nodded, vowing to be silent.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had turned his head away. "I didn't mean it," his voice had softened, remorseful. He turned back at Sakura, a helpless look on his face. "Believe me, Sakura. I didn't mean to hurt you. I… I was drunk that night. I had too much to drink and I didn't know what I was doing."

Sakura was never told of what truly transpired that night and now that she knew, she somehow felt guilty. Like her, his sense of reasoning was impaired by alcohol and he didn't know what he was doing. However, even if that night as an accident, she still couldn't help but feel betrayed.

"If you didn't mean it, then why didn't you tell me?" she asked, coldy. "I would be upset, but at least I knew what happened. I would still have forgiven you Sasuke. I loved you enough to know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose. Keeping it from me just meant that you didn't care enough."

"Sakura…" He was in front of her in a few strides and had grasped her arms. "If I could turn back time, I would do things differently-"

"Stop it, Sasuke." She pushed him away from her. "What happened has happened. We can't change it anymore. I appreciate you explaining and apologizing and I forgive you. But right now, we both have responsibilities to fulfill."

"But why… Why with _him_?" Sasuke demanded.

Sakura bit her lip. "It was an accident too, Sasuke. I was upset at what you did so I went and got myself drunk. Sai was just helping me and-"

"So this is your fault!" the Uchiha growled, turning to the ex-root member.

Without another word, he lunged himself at Sai. He punched the ink-user who, after recovering from the surprise attack, responded with blows of his own.

"Stop it!" Sakura screamed, but her pleas were ignored.

Sai took out his ink scrolls and with excessive speed, drew a lion and a tiger and yelling out his jutsu, the drawings came alive. They attacked the Uchiha and he dodged them, one by one before slashing them with a kunai he had in under his sleeve; they disappeared in splashes of ink. Then, to Sakura's horror, Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

"Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-teme!"

Naruto threw himself in between the brawl of the two dark-heads as Sakura watched, helplessly. Again, all she could do was stand back and watch. Why couldn't she do anything right? Sasuke was blaming Sai when in truth, it was Sakura's fault, it was all her fault. If only she hadn't been stupid that night, then none of this would happen. Sai wouldn't be brought into her and Sasuke's problems, he wouldn't be defending his life from the jealous Uchiha.

Watching her blonde-haired friend fail to separate and stop the two, the kunoichi knew that she had to do something to stop them from killing each other. When Sasuke began to form Chidori, she summoned as much chakra to her hand as she could and slammed her fist onto the ground. The concrete cracked in half and blew the two shinobis plus Naruto onto their backs.

"Stop it! Both of you!" she screamed. "You're fighting each other when everything that happened was my fault! It was all because I was being careless and stupid!"

"Sakura…"

"Sakura-san…"

She stomped her foot, tears streaming down her face. "No! I refuse to talk to either of you until you can talk to each other rationally!"

And with another glare at the two, she turned on her heels and stomped to her apartment, leaving them behind.

* * *

Arms folded and his one eye watching the two shinobis sitting at his kitchen table, Kakashi paced around them. By the kitchen sink, Naruto sat holding an ice pack to his swollen forehead where Sai had accidentally punched him during the fight. Meanwhile, the Anbu member and the Chunnin-level shinobi were glaring daggers at each other. Sighing, Kakashi dropped his hands onto the table.

"Alright you two, you are here in my kitchen table for a reason," he began. "Naruto told me everything that happened and the only way for both of you to get back on Sakura's good side is to work out this little dilemma. I am here simply to guide you in your talk and stop you in case you get too violent, while Naruto is here because he's too chicken to ask Sakura to heal him."

"Hey! I'm not chicken!"

The older Jounin ignored him. "Now, talk," he commanded before backing into the sink next to Naruto, arms crossed.

Neither boys said anything.

"I said talk."

Sighing, Sai went first. "Sakura will be having my child and I will aid her whether you like it or not."

"Would have been my child if you just left her alone!" Sasuke countered.

"Would you leave a friend alone after the supposed-love of her life betrayed her and impregnated another woman?"

"I've already said that night was a mistake! An accident!"

"So was the night our child was made. But unlike you, I'm supporting Sakura the whole way, and you can't stop me. Besides, you can't even take responsibility for your own action."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Word is getting around that though you offered monetary child support to your child, you refused to acknowledge it as your own."

"If it was Sakura, then I'd marry her and acknowledge the child. However, I barely know the woman. You can't expect me to spend the rest of my life with a stranger and give the Uchiha name to a bastard child?"

Sai shook his head in sympathy. "Your child deserves a better father. You know, though Sakura-san refuses to spend the rest of her life with me, I am willing to be a part of my child's life," he said rather proudly.

"This is better than T.V.," Naruto muttered, reaching for the bag of chips next to him. Kakashi nodded in agreement.

Sasuke had stood up quickly in anger, knocking his chair to the floor. "You have no right to her! You don't even love her!"

Sai raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. "And you say that you do?"

The Uchiha was turning red. "Of course I do! I love her and she loves me!"

Chuckling lightly, Sai replied, "The last time I checked, Sakura-san no longer wants anything to do with you."

"Who are you to say that?"

Sai continued to smile. "Her friend, teammate, and future father of her child."

Sasuke slammed his fist on the table. "Stop saying that, dammnit!"

Sai tilted his head to the side. "Stop saying what? That I'm her teammate? Her friend-?"

"That you're the father of her child!" Sasuke flashed the ink-user a death glare. "You're just my replacement. A replacement team member. A replacement friend." He smirked. "I won't let you replace me in her heart."

Sai smirked back. "Who knows, traitor? Maybe I already did."

With a cry of bloody murder, Sasuke lunged across the table at him.

Naruto dropped his ice pack and chips and tried to restrain his friend but Sasuke brushed him off. The Uchiha grabbed the front of Sai's shirt.

"I won't lose her to you," he spat. "Sakura's mine. She will _always_ be mine."

Confusion and rage filled Sai's mind. How dare he say that Sai had no right to Sakura? How dare he call her his? The Uchiha didn't own her. She wasn't some object to be won or lost.

"Sasuke, let him go," Kakashi ordered.

The jounin was ignored. Wrapping his hands on Sasuke's wrist, Sai pulled them away from his shirt himself and stood up. Brushing the dust from his clothes, he put on an emotionless face before turning to Sasuke.

"You haven't accepted it yet? You already lost her. And you did it all by yourself. I had nothing to do with it. The night you made the mistake of sleeping with someone else and refrained from telling her, was the night you lost her. Face it traitor, she is no longer yours and nor is she mine."

Without another word, Sai left the kitchen. The two remaining shinobis heard the door close with a click, telling them that Sai had left the apartment. In dismay, Sasuke slumped to the floor, a hand on his face. Sympathizing with his ex-teammate, Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, teme?"

Silently, Sasuke brushed him off and picked himself up. "Thank you for trying, Naruto. I'll see you guys around."

Following Sai's example, he also left.

Naruto and Kakashi watched him leave and after the door closed, Naruto released a frustrated sigh.

"Damn, I'm really glad I'm with Hinata now," he said. "I don't wanna be a third part of _that_."

"You know what, I think this actually good for Sai," Kakashi commented.

Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean, sensei?"

"Well," Kakashi shrugged. "He's finally discovered a new emotion."

"Which one?"

A smirk under his mask, Kakashi replied, "Jealousy."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 5- Forgive and Forget**

"Can you believe they did that?" Sakura screeched as she paced her living room. "They acted like kids! Like only their lives were changing and not mine! Ugh!" She plopped herself on the couch next to Ino. "Men!"

Ino patted her hand, sympathetically. "Well, maybe they're also fighting for your affections?"

"I mean, how did Sasuke found out I was pregnant anyway?" Sakura continued, oblivious to Ino's statement. "It's not like anyone told him. Ooohh!" She pointed her finger at the air. "Someone did tell him!"

"Y-You know, it's not hard to figure out you're pregnant," Ino stammered, rather nervously. "You're getting big you know."

"But I haven't seen Sasuke since the night we broke up! I've avoided him not just because I never wanted to see his face again, but also because of this!"

"Maybe he saw you?"

"Can't be, I was extra cautious. I've been in shinobi mode for the past three months! I would feel his chakra immediately!" Sakura growled. "When I find out who told him, I'll kill 'em!"

Ino laughed, nervously. "R-Right…"

Finally noticing the tension in the blonde's voice, Sakura gave her a suspicious look. Ino looked guilty. Very guilty. As if she did something that would insure somebody's wrath… specifically Sakura's wrath.

The pinkette's eyes widened in realization. "You didn't!"

Ino shook her head and waved her hands in front of her in denial. "N-No…! It was an accident. In my defense, Tenten-san, Lee-san, and I didn't know he was there until it was too late!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "What were the three of you doing talking about my pregnancy in public? Shishou told you this was a private matter!"

"We weren't in public," Ino defended. "We were at the flower shop and we were talking about your… we were talking about gifts for the baby when it's born and we didn't notice him come in."

In frustration, Sakura shrieked. "Why didn't you freakin' tell me?"

"Uh… 'Cause it happened yesterday and I couldn't find you. The next thing I knew, you called me over today and told me that your ex and the father of your baby almost killed each other yesterday." Ino grinned, guiltily. "I'm… I mean, we're sorry… Uh… Half-price on your future purchases at the Yamanaka Flower Shop?"

Sakura growled, her fists clenched.

"Okay… Free flowers for the next year! Just don't hurt me!"

Breathing heavily, Sakura closed her eyes and lowered her fists to her lap. Slowly, she inhaled and exhaled, inhaled and exhaled. Finally, her head cooled down and she sighed in relief.

"You better be happy I'm pregnant and stress isn't good for the baby," she mumbled before burying her face in her hands.

Ino bit her lip and placed an arm around her friend. "Gomenasai, Sakura. You can blame me all you want. But you knew you couldn't keep this from Sasuke forever. He was gonna find out somehow and it's better now than later, right?"

Lowering her hands, Sakura sighed in acceptance. "I guess you're right. Sasuke would have found out one way or another." She flashed the blonde a small smile in gratitude. "Thanks and I'm sorry pig, you're a great friend ."

"No problem, forehead."

The doorbell buzzed, interrupting the friendship moment between the two kunoichi. Ino got up and looked out the peephole before turning back to Sakura.

"It's Sai. Should I let him in?"

Frowning, the pink-haired medic shook her head and laid down on her soft, white couch. "No, make him think no one's home."

"Okay then. Want some tea?"

"With some odango please?"

"Roger!"

Ino headed to the kitchen while Sakura remained sprawled on the couch, an arm covering her eyes. She was starting to get a headache, which was very bad. She shouldn't be stressing, Tsunade couldn't emphasize that enough during her check-up. Placing a hand on her belly, the pinkette breathed in deeply.

"I'm sorry about that baby," she whispered, rubbing the small bump affectionately. "Mommy didn't mean to blow her top. She's not mad at you, okay?"

"She's still not mad at me either, is she?"

At the voice, Sakura's eyes flew open and she was out of the couch within seconds as if someone had yelled, "Fire." There, standing in the middle of her living room, was Sai complete with annoying fake-smile and a bag of what appeared to be strawberries, Sakura's favorite fruit.

"H-How… B-But… W-What the hell are you doing here?" she all but screamed at him.

He continued to smile and pointed at the open window. She could have sworn it was closed before. Finally, her eye was drawn to a tiny, black and white figure sitting on the sill; it was a small mouse, one of Sai's ink arts. He must have drawn it to sneak into one of the many crevices of her apartment and open her window. With a small squeak, it scampered onto Sai's open scroll and disappeared.

"Forehead, what's wrong?" Ino came out of the kitchen and seeing Sai, her jaw dropped in astonishment. "Hey, how'd you get in here?"

Ignoring her question, Sai said, "I must speak with Sakura-san. Alone, if you don't mind Ino-san."

Ino crossed her arms. "Oh, I mind. After what happened yesterday, I mind a great deal."

Sakura shook her head and flashed her a grateful smile. "It's okay, Ino. I can handle this, you can go home."

"You sure?"

"I'll be fine."

"Alright then." Ino glared at Sai before walking to the door. "The tea and odango are in the kitchen. Just call if you need me."

"I will, Arigatou."

Ino raised a hand. "Ja," she said before closing the door, leaving Sai and Sakura alone.

The pinkette turned to the raven-haired artist, arms crossed, eyebrow raised, foot tapping in anticipation. For once, Sai felt… nervous? He felt like cowering at her glare. But no, he shouldn't feel this. He shouldn't feel… frightened. This was _Sakura_… Sakura Haruno. Besides, she looked rather cute whenever she was mad at him…

Sai shook his head free of the thoughts and held out his peace offering to her. "Forgive my behavior last night, Sakura-san. It wasn't my intention to hurt you by my actions."

Sakura looked at the bag. The little red fruits looked so ripe, so plump, so tempting and so delicious. She bit her lip but decided to stand firm; he deserved her anger. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Did you and Sasuke talk?" she asked.

Sai hesitated then nodded.

"Well?"

He coughed. "The conversation did not do well for either of us."

"So you're saying that you ended up in a fist fight again?"

"I obeyed what you said; I didn't fight him."

Reading the unspoken statement behind his words, Sakura sighed and closed her eyes. "But he fought you, didn't he?"

"Hai."

She let out a sarcastic laugh before opening her eyes to look at him. "Typical Sasuke." She breathed in deeply. "I guess I should at least give you credit for trying." She took the bag of strawberries from his hand and went to the kitchen. "Did you have lunch yet?"

Sai stayed for lunch and enjoyed a nice meal of odango, freshly brewed green tea, and strawberries for dessert. The whole time, Sai told Sakura of what occurred the night before at Kakashi's apartment.

Sakura felt upset that even after they were no longer together, Sasuke was still as possessive as ever. It didn't matter to him that Sakura had now moved on and was doing fine without him. For the most part though, she couldn't blame him. They waited long for each other; she loved him and waited for him all those years while he did what he needed to do and came back for her. They had decided to give love a try and it worked until the one fight that changed everything. They both made mistakes and both had to deal with it. Sakura was ready but Sasuke was not; knowing the Uchiha, if he felt that he wasn't ready, then Sakura shouldn't be either. Sakura couldn't help but finally admit that Sasuke never changed from the pampered and arrogant boy she knew from the Academy; he was still as selfish as ever and he didn't trust her like she trusted him; and she knew that a love without trust is not strong enough to last. She wondered why she ever fell for him.

"I'm sorry about all this, Sai," Sakura mumbled, clearing their empty plates and taking them to the sink. "If I wasn't so reckless that night, then this didn't have to happen. You know, it's not too late to back out of our deal. I really can't blame you if you do."

For some reason, her own statement stung her. She didn't want him to back out. Not just because she wouldn't have an extra pair of hands in taking care of the baby but also because… Simply because she wanted him to be there. However, he had the right to back out, and she was allowing him to refuse the responsibility, thought it hurt her for some reason. She expected him to say he would think about it or ask Tsunade or something. To her surprise, Sai's pale hand grasped her fair one. His face held a look of determination.

"I'm not leaving you, Sakura-san," he said in his deep, husky tone.

Sakura felt a shiver run through her. A pleasant shiver. Heat rushed to her face. He was close… So close… She could smell the ink, paper, and peppermint mix scent that she had begun to love so much.

"I made an oath that I would be around for you and our child. I'm not leaving either of you. I'll protect you both from the Uchiha with every ounce of my strength."

"S-Sai…"

Her heart was pumping harder and harder against her chest now. A certain warmth was spreading throughout her body. She wondered why whenever she spent time with Sai nowadays, she couldn't help but feel content and worry-free. Even if he accidentally insulted her every now and then, she still couldn't help but smile and laugh. Being with Sai felt like having the world at her grasp, like she could do anything. Even before the baby, he was always there for her; be it during missions, her fights with Sasuke, or her grief at losing a patient. Anything really and even now, he was still with her, not leaving her side. With a wide smile on her face, Sakura threw her arms around his neck.

Sai's eyes widened, but felt his own arms wrap around her waist. She felt so warm… So very pleasant. A course of electricity ran through him. Her sweet scent tickled his nose: cherry blossom, like her namesake. An emotion was bubbling… He recognized this emotion. He felt it rarely and he always treasured those moments. He was happy. And Sai realized that whenever he was close to Sakura, whenever they spent time together and talked about many things, not just about their child, he felt happy. He felt content.

"Arigatou, Sai-kun."

Both were surprised at the honorific bestowed upon him. Nevertheless, Sai smiled a true smile.

"You're welcome, Sakura-chan."

* * *

A week later, Sakura was on day duty at the hospital. She went about her work examining patients, healing injured shinobis from missions, and writing reports. Despite being three months pregnant, she was still as enthusiastic about her work before she got pregnant. Her co-workers knew about the baby and were a bit worried that she was exerting herself. Sakura knew that they watched her all the time. At first, she found it annoying. She was kunoichi for Kami's sake, she could handle anything! Eventually, she learned to tolerate it and even felt touched that they cared.

Making her final rounds for that morning, Sakura was looking forward to her lunch break. She brought homemade ramen and dumplings and Sai had dropped off two boxes of odango and a bag of apples at her apartment the day before. He was currently on a solo mission so she wouldn't be seeing him for a few days or weeks. She missed him already and worried about his safety, but then again, this was Sai. It was a simple B-rank mission; he had gone on several and even more dangerous solo missions and came back with only a bruise. Nevertheless, Sakura couldn't help but worry and made sure that the hospital informed her if Sai came in when he returned; she would heal him herself.

"Sakura-san!"

She turned to see a fellow medic running towards her, looking frantic.

"Isuzu-san, what's wrong?"

Isuzu stopped in front of her, panting to catch her breath, her hands on her knees. "D-Dai… back from mission… injured…"

Dai, Isuzu's boyfriend, was injured during a mission? No wonder she was having a panic attack.

"Need you… examine… patient… for me… please?"

Sakura nodded. "Go on to Dai-san. I'll take care of your patient."

Isuzu smiled before bowing and hugging her. "Arigatou gozaimazu, Sakura-san!"

Sakura patted her on the back. "Go on, Dai needs you."

She watched Isuzu disappear before retracing her steps and detouring to the direction of Isuzu's office. The door was open and as she approached the door, she could hear the nurse's voice.

"… make yourself comfortable Kimiko-san. Isuzu-sama will be with you shortly."

Sakura stopped in her tracks, forehead creased. Kimiko… she knew that name. Where had she heard it before? She peeked into the room. Looking at the young woman sitting on the examining table closely, Sakura almost had a heart attack. She recognized the long brown hair and brown eyes of Kimiko Shimizu, the woman who was currently carrying a future Uchiha in her womb. Immediately, Sakura felt a familiar ache in her chest. Strangely, this ache was not as painful as the first time she saw Kimiko.

It was the day that brown-haired girl told Sasuke that she was pregnant, unaware that Sakura was nearby and heard the whole thing. Everything that happened after was a blur. All she remembered was that she had screamed at Sasuke, slapped him, glared at Kimiko before running off. The next day, she woke up in her apartment, half-thinking that the whole affair had been a bad dream, that Sasuke never betrayed her. But when Ino stopped by that afternoon to ask how she was, it confirmed that the event was not a dream.

"Sakura-sama, is there anything you need?" The nurse's voice broke the pink-haired medic's thoughts.

"Oh no, nothing at all. Um, Isuzu-san is tending to another patient right now, so she asked me to take over for this patient. May I ask what she's here for?" she asked.

"Shimizu-san is having her monthly check-up for her baby."

"I see. Is this her first?"

"It's her second."

"Alright then." Sakura watched Kimiko. Any expectant mother would be excited, maybe a little nervous at a first check-up like Sakura was, but a second check-up would be more exciting. Kimiko, however, looked depressed, as if she wanted to be anywhere than there. "I'll take care of everything."

"Hai, Sakura-sama."

"Arigatou."

With a nod, the nurse left and Sakura turned on her heels and entered the room. Kimiko looked up and for a moment, confused. Confusion turned to recognition and she turned red. She remembered Sakura. Smiling gently at her, Sakura approached.

"Hello, Shimizu-san."

The brown-haired girl simply tilted her head in acknowledgement, still looking embarrassed.

"Uh… Isuzu-sensei was called to an emergency and she asked me to examine you for today."

"O-Oh."

Sakura went to the desk where Kimiko's medical records were already laid out for her. She looked at them before putting on some gloves. Kimiko looked really nervous. She fidgeted as Sakura examined her and the baby. In order to put her at ease, the medic tried to make small talk. She asked her how she was doing, was she excited for the baby, what was she going to name it when it was born. Kimiko answered in one or two syllables in a soft voice. Sakura could tell that she was remembering their last encounter and the pinkette felt bad for acting like a bitch to her last time. But who could blame her? The girl was having her then-boyfriend's baby.

After her examination, the brown-haired girl looked relieved to be done. "Arigatou."

Kimiko still refused to look at her, so Sakura sighed and grabbed a chair. She smiled at Kimiko again.

"Gomenasai Kimiko-san," she began. "The last time we, er, met, I was terrible to you because of… Sasuke. But I know it's not your fault and you didn't want it to happen. So now, I'm apologizing for my behavior that day. Kimiko-san, I just want to say that I'm happy for you and Sasuke, really."

Finally, the brown-haired girl looked at her. "W-Why are you apologizing? It is I who should be apologizing to you, Haruno-san. That night… I can assure you that I was only trying to assist Sas… I mean, Uchiha-san. He came to the club often and he usually sat at my area. I'm a waitress there, you see. And Uchiha-san had become my regular customer and even though I knew he already had a girlfriend, he talked about you a lot, I couldn't help but be attracted to him. And that night… that night, he was… he looked broken and told me all about your fight. He wouldn't leave even after closing time and the manager threatened to call the authorities on him if he didn't leave and… I just wanted to help and the next thing I knew…"

The pink in her cheeks darkened and she refused to go on. Meanwhile, as Sakura listened to what transpired that night, she truly felt guilty for hating this innocent girl who was also captivated by Sasuke's charms. Sakura had been there and she was happy that she was done with that. But this poor girl… Sasuke wouldn't even acknowledge her or the baby. Sakura felt lucky that Sai was there for her the whole way.

"You know, Kimiko-san, I'm pregnant too," Sakura said, a smile on her face. "Not with Sasuke's kid. Nope, it's actually pretty ironic." Startled, Kimiko gave her a curious look. Sakura just chuckled. "I got pregnant the same way you did, except I was the one who was drunk and the father of my baby was the one who was sober. Funny, huh?"

Though Sakura giggled lightly, Kimiko didn't laugh. In fact, she looked even more guilty.

"I-I-I… I caused all this Haruno-san," she whispered. "I-I'm so sorry."

Sakura simply shook her head and placed a hand on Kimiko's shoulder. "It's alright, what's done is done. We both just have to go on with our lives. Right now, our babies need us." Sakura stood up and threw her gloves in the trash can before washing her hands in the ceramic basin in the room. "Anyway, your examination's done. Your next one is on the third of December. Hmm, maybe I'll arrange mine on that day too so we can catch up, I'll check with shishou and Sai, that's my baby's father." After wiping her hands on a towel, she went to the desk, picked up Kimiko's record, and began to write on it. "Anyway, the baby's fine and healthy and so are you. Just make sure you eat lots and lots of healthy foods. I would also like to recommend a certain brand of milk," she picked up a prescription pad and hastily scribbled a name and handing it to the surprised brown-haired girl. "A friend of mine told me about it and I drink a glass everyday, I suggest that you do so as well. Also, no stressing and no over-exertion, it's bad for the pregnancy." She helped Kimiko down from the table. "It's my lunch break, would you like to have lunch with me?"

Without waiting for an answer, the kunoichi took the still thunderstruck girl's hand and took her to the hospital's cafeteria where they shared Sakura's hefty lunch. It was a good thing she brought a lot that day, due to the increase in her appetite. But she was willing to share.

"Sakura-san," Kimiko said, as the pinkette walked her to the exit of the hospital. "Why are you being kind to me? I don't deserve it."

Though surprised at first, the pinkette just shrugged. "I guess it's because it's easier to face you when I finally know the whole truth of what happened that night, that you never wanted it to happen and Sasuke never meant to hurt me. Besides, Sasuke and I… even if that night never happened, the two of us still would never have worked out. I can't say I'm no longer hurt, but I can honestly say that I no longer harbor any ill-feelings towards you and Sasuke. "

Kimiko bit her lip. "I can assure you, Sakura-san, that aside from my small attraction to Uchiha-san, there is no relationship between us."

Sakura just smiled. "I know Kimiko-san, I know. Besides," she placed a hand on her belly. "I have something much more important to tend to." And to Kimiko's surprise, Sakura placed her other hand on the brown-haired girl's belly. "And so do you."

Struck speechless, Kimiko bit her lip then broke into a small smile. "Now I understand why Uchiha-san loves you so much. You're a very kind person, Sakura-san. And the person who holds your heart is a very lucky person."

Sakura looked surprised but before she could say anything, Kimiko bowed to her before turning on her heels and walking away.

* * *

When Sakura arrived home that day, she was surprised to see Sasuke waiting for her outside her apartment. At first, she simply stared at him and he held her gaze. Finally, she gathered enough nerve to speak first.

"What are you doing here?" she said, a bit harshly.

Sasuke walked over to her and just looked at her before sighing. "I talked with Sai, like you asked."

She tilted her head. "I'm aware, he came to me last week. He said you almost attacked him."

The dark-haired boy chuckled, sarcastically, "A tattle-tale, I see."

Sakura glared at him. "Sasuke, if you're here to insult Sai-"

"I'm not," he interrupted. He took her hand in his and for some reason, the pinkette let him. "I'm about to leave for a mission. But I don't want to go without saying I'm sorry for making you upset that night. So, I'm sorry. And…"

Furrowing her eyebrows in suspicion, Sakura said, "Go on…"

Sasuke breathed in deeply before planting a kiss on top of her hand. "I won't lose you, I won't lose you to the likes of him. I love you, Sakura. Even after that fight, after the night I betrayed you, after this," he gestured to her stomach. "I still love you. I'll help you care foe the baby, I'll help you raise it and I'll even call it my own. Please, just come back to me… I really love you."

Sakura's heart ached, not in longing but pity. Sasuke was still in love with her. Sakura would be lying if she said that she never dreamt of this happening; she did. But now that it was happening, she couldn't bring herself to tell him that she loved him too, because she didn't. Yes, she still loved him as a friend, but she no longer felt the same love he felt for her; the pain he inflicted on her since they were twelve years old was too much for her heart to bear.

She placed a hand on his cheek. "I forgive you," she whispered. A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes as he placed his hand over hers. However, she shook her head, sadly. "My heart forgives you, Sasuke, but it hasn't forgotten; it hasn't forgotten the pain. The short time we were together, I'd be lying if I said they weren't the best, because they were. However, they were also bitter. It made me realize that love's not that fairytale crap I believed in when we were twelve. It's all about compromise, trust, give and take. We never compromised; we were always arguing about what is best for either you and me. Trust, you never trusted me; you want to be informed of every move I make and when you don't like something I do, you restrict me. And you keep taking yet never giving; I keep giving but never receiving. I've realized that these are why we were always fighting over the silliest things, until it came to the point when we ended up hurting each other. I confess, I wasn't perfect either, but at least I tried, Sasuke! I tried to compromise the best I could, I trusted you with everything I had, and I never complained, even if everything was always about you!" Sakura extricated her hand from his. "So before we hurt each other more than we already have, it's best that we remain friends and nothing more."

She could see everything in his eyes: hurt, anger, longing, regret. But when she looked at him now, the fast-paced beating of her heart, the warm tingle, the bubble of joy, they were all gone. All she felt was melancholy and pity.

"Please don't worry about me and this child, we're well taken care of. But if I were you, I'd care about my own child; Kimiko-san needs you. I don't mean with money and such, I mean your care and support; I now know that she's a very nice girl and she does care about you. She and the baby need you."

"But I don't want her! I want you!" Sasuke insisted. "I want only you."

But Sakura shook her head. "Gomenasai, Sasuke, but it's time for you to think about someone other than yourself," she said, turning to leave.

His hand flew to grasp hers, but she stopped him. She shook her head again and kissed him on the cheek. "Good-bye, Sasuke." And with that, she turned on her heels and walked into her apartment, leaving him behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 6- Following Your Heart**

After almost two weeks of being away on an espionage and retrieval mission, Sai finally returned to Konoha. One of the village nobles believed that his younger half-brother from Iwagakure had some important documents of land that their parents had left for the older. He claimed that in jealousy, his half-brother stole them. Now the older brother wanted the land back and Sai was sent to retrieve them.

"My family's land!" his client cried in happiness, holding the scrolls up to the light. "They're mine again!" Placing the documents inside a pack, he turned to the young shinobi. "And what of the bastard's property?"

In addition to stealing back the documents, the noble wanted Sai to spy on his half-brother's household and whether it appeared that he was wealthier than the older; if he was, he may have stolen more than just the land.

"I can assure you, my lord, it appeared that he had stolen nothing else from your family. If my calculations are correct, your properties and assets are much larger than his. You have nothing to worry about."

"Good, good." In delight, the noble turned to Tsunade. "Thank you for this young man's services, Hokage-sama." He placed a small pouch on top of her desk. "Five hundred ryos, as agreed."

After Tsunade thanked him, the client nodded at Sai, bowed at the Hokage and left. When he was gone, Tsunade turned to Sai, a playful smirk playing in her lips.

"A job well done, Sai," she praised. "So, I'm guessing you're happy to be back?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"So, what do you plan on doing now?"

Sai looked surprised. "Oh, um, probably walk around town for a while, let everybody know I'm back."

"Good, good. I bet Naruto's missed you. He seemed pretty lonely with his ramen at Ichiraku's these days."

His head turned to the window and his foot tapped softly against the wooden office floor. "Um… I'm sure with Hinata-san around, he's not very lonely."

Tsuande grinned. The boy sounded impatient. She liked teasing him; it was amusing. "Alright, you may take your leave, you deserve a break."

"Arigatou, Hokage-sama," Sai replied, bowing low before turning on his heels and leaving the office.

Shizune looked up on time to see him literally speed out of the Hokage tower.

Happy that he was finally home, Sai raced to Sakura's apartment to see how she was doing. The artist could honestly say that he missed her. A lot. He thought about her every night he was in Iwagakure, praying that she was alright, that nothing terrible was happening to her, that Sasuke wasn't doing anything to make her upset. Most of all, he wanted to see her… so much.

In Iwagakure, Sai had caught the attention of the noble's two teenage daughters, who took a liking to this young, handsome, and mysterious young man. They were the ones who made his mission longer than necessary; they watched his every move and stalked him everywhere. Though these girls were beautiful to behold, Sai couldn't help but compare their artificial beauty to Sakura's natural beauty; the two needed pampering, cosmetics, and expensive clothing. But not Sakura. Of the two years that they had been teammates, Sai knew that Sakura rarely wore make-up and when she did, it was only during special occasions. She wasn't pampered; she grew up independent and taking care of herself. And Sakura was a kunoichi by profession, she couldn't afford expensive clothes; though the village owed majority of its services to shinobis, they didn't get paid much. Sakura enjoyed dressing up in nice clothes every now and then, but Sai knew that she preferred the comfortable and liberated clothes of a kunoichi.

Thus, while he was away and not seeing her features for over two weeks, Sai came to the conclusion that though Sakura's shocking pink hair and unusually large forehead may discourage admiration upon first meeting, one could not deny the fact that the girl's bright smile could brighten up a room, her friendly and caring nature was above simple courtesy and made you feel at ease at any time, and her kunoichi skills were definitely admirable; not to mention that her eyes were a striking shade of turquoise-green, her lips pink and full, and she had a nice figure and well-toned muscles for a girl her age. In addition, Sakura held herself with the grace, dignity, and confidence of a mature young woman. Sai then realized that these were the attributes that made Sakura naturally beautiful; he finally understood why Naruto was attracted to her years before, why majority of Konoha's male population ogled at her whenever she walked past, and why Sasuke chose to love her above all the other women who threw themselves at him everyday.

Arriving at her apartment, Sai lifted a hand and was about to ring the doorbell when he felt pain gnawing at the small wound on his side. There had been a brief confrontation with some guards after he stole the documents and Sai patched himself up the best he could after the battle. It didn't hurt while he was giving his mission report to the Hokage, but he must have pushed himself too hard on the way to Sakura's. He placed a hand over the bandaged wound and breathed in deeply to rid himself of the pain; he would take care of it later. Right now, he had to put on an alright-face; he didn't want to worry Sakura. Plastering on a smile, he rang the bell. He could hear Sakura's, "Coming!" and prepared himself.

A few shuffles later, the pink-haired kunoichi opened the door. At first, she stared in surprise at the visitor. When Sai lifted his hand and said, "Hi," she broke into a large smile and tackled him.

"Sai-kun! You're back!" she squealed, hugging his middle.

The dark-haired artist winced, feeling tears threatening to fall at the sting from his wound, but he forced them back as he returned the hug. He mustn't worry Sakura. Finally, she let go, still smiling at him and despite the pain in his side, Sai wanted to keep hugging her; she was so pleasantly warm.

"When did you get back?" she asked, pulling him inside and shutting the door. "Did you have lunch yet? I made some ramen and dumplings; they'll be ready in a few minutes."

With that, she went to the kitchen. Sai resisted the urge to bring a hand to his stinging wound and instead, followed her and sat on the table. "I arrived just an hour ago. And no, I haven't had lunch yet."

"Well, you're right on time then!"

As she ladled the noodles and vegetables into two bowls, Sai's eyes strayed to her stomach. She was showing a lot more than the last time he saw her; the swell of her stomach was more prominent and noticeable. He wondered what she had been doing for the past couple of days; she was certainly keeping herself occupied at the hospital but he knew those weren't enough for her. Though she never said anything, Sai could feel her longing to let herself go in ninjutsus and power punches whenever she watched Team Kakashi's training sessions. He knew 'cause he often created a Kage Bunshin to watch her in the sides without her knowledge while he trained.

"Here you go!" Sakura placed a bowl of ramen in front of him and a plate of dumplings and odango in the middle of the table. She placed another bowl of ramen on her place across from him and sat down.

"Itadakimasu!" they both said.

"So how was your mission?" she asked. "It definitely went great since you're here unscratched and all."

"Well, if you already know it went great, why ask?"

Sakura scowled. "It's common courtesy, you baka."

"Hmm." Sai began to eat.

"Tell me all about it."

So Sai narrated the events of his mission, that he disguised himself as one of the four guard apprentices guarding the noble younger brother's home. He told her of the two daughters who stalked him everywhere, how beautiful he found them (was it just him, or was that a vein popping dangerously on Sakura's forehead?), and how he had no choice but to keep delaying his snooping around the house because they kept following him (Sakura laughed and teased him at this). He narrated how he finally had the chance on the eighth night when the whole family was out to attend a party, leaving Sai enough time to look for the documents. When he did, he immediately left the next day. However, he wasn't very lucky when he realized that the thievery was discovered and household guards were sent after him.

"Good thing you got away," Sakura said, worry in her voice. "You weren't injured were you?"

Sai hesitated. Should he lie? She was worried already. But then again, if he lied and she found out, he'd get pummeled; Sakura's power punch became even more powerful after she got pregnant.

"A little," he said, truthfully.

Nevertheless, Sakura looked him over and finally noticed the small patch of bandage on his side. Quickly, she stood up and was about to release some chakra when Sai raised a hand, shaking his head.

"Please don't waste any chakra on me, Sakura-chan. It's just a small wound, not deep enough to kill me."

"But Sai-."

"I've had worse, you know that," he interrupted, smiling brightly.

Sighing in defeat, the pink-haired medic rummaged through one of the kitchen cabinets and took out a First-Aid Kit.

"Might as well tend to that the old-fashioned way," she muttered, dragging a chair to sit in front of him. "You should have gone to the hospital before you went here you know." She removed the bandage and examined the wound before taking some cotton, soaking it in alcohol, and dabbed it onto the wound. "It's not deep enough to be fatal, alright. But it could still get infected if not treated right." When he winced, she looked up at him. "Am I hurting you?"

He shook his head and she continued to clean the wound. And Sai just watched her, examined the concentrated and determined look she wore whenever she was tending to their wounds. He had tried to draw this look for some time, but he could never get it right, usually because he sketched it from memory. And her hands… Despite her powerful punch, her healing hands were gentle… he often wondered how this was possible. When Sakura was done, she took some new bandage, cut off a sufficient amount, and placed it over the wound and secured it with some medical tape.

"There," she said, satisfied. "All done. If it hurts again tomorrow, come find me so I can take a look at it."

As she packed the First-Aid Kit, Sai's hand reached out and took hers. She froze, her cheeks turning red. He smiled at her. "Arigatou, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette cleared her throat. "Y-Your welcome, Sai," she said, standing up quickly to stow away the kit. "So, uh, what do you plan on doing now?"

He shrugged. "I'm pretty much free for the rest of the day." He watched as she picked up their empty bowls, plates, and cups and placed them in the sink to be washed. "Would you like some help with that?"

"Oh, sure. That would be great. I'll wash, you dry."

He caught the towel she threw at him. Together, they washed the dishes in silence.

Since the night he apologized for the incident with Sasuke, this had become an occasional occurrence for the two. Sai would visit, Sakura would invite him to eat, they'd talk, and he'd offer to help with the dishes. Sai was glad that he was able to help her out every now and then and surprisingly, he had begun to feel comfortable in her home. He realized that ever since they agreed to raise the child together, not marry, just raise, he had spent most of his time here whenever he had nothing to do. Sometimes, he, Sakura, and Naruto and, sometimes, Ino, would go out and do something together. They were sometimes joined by the rest of Rookie Nine, who were all looking forward to Sai and Sakura's baby; after all, they were the first ones among them to have a baby. Tenten believed that Naruto and Hinata were next (though Neji glared at the blonde jinchuriki every time this was brought up).

"Sasuke came while you were away," Sakura casually said.

Sai felt himself tense, but maintained his cool composure. "Oh?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, he apologized about making me upset by fighting you and…"

Curious, Sai prodded her, "And?"

She sighed. "He wants me back."

In surprise, Sai almost dropped the cup he was drying but saved it just in time. "I… I see… And, do you mind me asking what your answer was?"

"Well, I told him that I forgive him and that it's completely over between us." She paused in washing a plate and turned to look at him. "Do you think I'm being too harsh? I mean, my head is telling me to give him another chance… But my heart says enough of the pain already. What do you think, Sai?"

_You're not being too harsh. You're making the right decision! Don't go back to him! _Sai's head was yelling, but all he said was, "You should do what you believe is best for the both of you."

She smiled.

"But…" he paused then shook his head and continued to dry a plate.

This went unnoticed. Sakura flashed him a curious look. "But what?"

He shook his head again. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," she insisted, closing the tap and flicking her hands onto the sink. "You were about to say something else. What is it?"

"I don't think I should-"

"Sai!" she all but shrieked. "Do you want me to use desperate measures?" She cracked her knuckles, menacingly.

Sai grinned. "Now, now, Sakura-chan. Hokage-sama said that you shouldn't stress yourself. The baby won't like it."

"Then tell me!"

Looking at the insistent look on her face, Sai gave in which, he noticed, was beginning to become a habit; he was spoiling her more than Ino was.

"I was going to say that I think it's best for you to follow your heart," he explained. "You've always said that our hearts are our guides. So, I think you should follow your own advice and follow your heart."

A blush formed on her cheeks and he chuckled. "I must say, red is very becoming on you. Maybe I should stop calling you Hag and call you tomato-face instead."

The next thing Sai knew, he was sitting on the couch, nursing a bruise on his right cheek. But for some reason, instead of looking enraged, Sakura had a small smile on her face as she handed him an ice pack. She tapped his bruised cheek, lightly.

"Be happy that I'm pregnant, you bastard," she said with a hint of humor as she sat next to him.

He simply looked at her, in surprise; she was being a monster and an angel at the same time. Unbelievable. But then again, this was Sakura. Sai couldn't help but admire her.

* * *

Sai spent most of the afternoon at Sakura's apartment. They talked a bit then watched a little T.V; well, Sakura watched T.V. while Sai sat next to her and sketched; he wouldn't show her the drawing though, no matter how much she begged. By the end of the day, both were content and glad of each other's company. When Sai asked if he could stay for dinner, Sakura immediately obliged; it appeared that he didn't want to leave and Sakura, for some reason, didn't want him to go either. But after dinner, knowing that he needed rest after a two-week mission and the injury he received from both the enemy and her fist, she told him that it was getting late and he should be heading home.

Walking him to the door, she was about to say good-night when he flashed her a sheepish look. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"I'm… worried." He suddenly looked embarrassed and became interested in Sakura's doorframe.

She tilted her head to the side. "About?"

She watched as the dark-haired artist's eyes flicked to her stomach. "I'm not certain that I'll be a good father. I… I've never had a father and although I have consulted many books, I'm still not certain of what to do. I'm very apprehensive about it."

_Oh my gosh! He's so adorable when he's shy!_ Sakura thought.

Sai was worried about being a father… For some odd reason, she found this strangely alluring and she could feel her heart soften.

Smiling gently, she placed a hand on his arm. "I'm worried about being a mother too, Sai. I don't think anybody knows right away how to be a parent; I think you learn as you go along." She stepped closer to him that she could smell him; she felt the familiar pleasant shiver course through her. "But you know what? I think you'll be a great father. Actually, you're a great father now. You take care of me and by taking care of me, you take care of our baby too."

Sai's eyes brightened at her words and he smiled, genuinely. "Really?"

Sakura tilted her head. "Hai."

She watched as he leaned his face closer to hers and Sakura's cheeks flamed. _Ohmygosh! Is he going to kiss me? Wait… What was the last thing I ate? The odango! Crap! I hope the tea washed the taste away. Wait… Sai likes odango, right? So it doesn't matter-_

And just like that, Sakura's senses came crashing back. _Sakura! What are you thinking? This is Sai we're talking about! Sai! Ohhh… But his lips are right there! They look so soft and… kissable. Crap, I sound like a lovestruck teenager. Wait… I am a teenager… But I'm not lovestruck… am I?_

But Sai simply leaned his forehead against hers. The cool surface of his forehead protector touching her bare forehead somehow made Sakura disappointed that it wasn't his skin touching hers.

"Sakura…" he breathed.

For a moment, they stayed like that and Sakura didn't care if at any moment, a neighbor could exit his apartment and see the two of them like that. But then Sai decided to break away and the kunoichi did her best to hide her disappointment. Looking at his… dare she say it?… pale, handsome features, she watched as his eyes flashed and stayed on her swelling stomach. His dark orbs held longing and hesitation; her eyes caught the clenching and unclenching of his fists.

Immediately, Sakura realized what he wanted to ask. Seeing that he was too shy to do so himself, she took his hand and placed it over her belly. Instantly, a smile broke into Sai's face and he looked at her with a face of childish excitement.

"I… I feel happy, Sakura-chan," he said, taking a step closer to her. "I feel very happy when I'm with you and the baby."

Sakura felt her heart beating faster and faster. Why was he making her feel like this?

Breaking into a wide smile herself, she said, "You know, they say talking to the baby while it's inside your stomach is good for its development. I talk to him all the time, but I don't think you've had the chance yet, have you?"

He shook his head, suddenly looking shy again. She giggled. "Go on, talk to him… or her."

Slowly, Sai kneeled down on the ground until he was eye-level to her stomach.

"Um… Hello," he said. He looked up at Sakura, unsure. She gave him an encouraging smile. Tilting his head, he returned his attention to the baby. "I'm your Otou-san. Um… It's nice to meet you… Uh… I just want to say… I'm really happy that you're coming and… I'm very excited to meet you." Slowly but surely, Sai had begun to smile widely again and his words became smoother and more loving. "Your Okaa-san and I are both excited to meet you. You're going to have a wonderful home and a loving family and I'll make sure you won't turn evil in the future…"

Sakura's smile widened. She was swelling with joy at the sight of Sai talking to their future child. He had no idea how happy he was making her, happier than she ever had been in a long time.

"… and when you're all grown up, I'll teach you how to draw and paint and your Okaa-san can teach you how to heal and punch your enemies across the room; she has a powerful punch, your Okaa-san. Sometimes, I'm actually afraid of her…"

The pinkette sweat dropped but decided to berate him at another day. The moment was too cute and touching to ruin.

"… I promise to protect you always my child," Sai finished before stroking Sakura's belly tenderly with his thumb.

The pinkette could feel the goosebumps forming at the feel of his skin through the fabric of her maternity top. Sai removed his hands and raised himself from the ground, smiling at Sakura.

"Arigatou, Sakura-chan," he said. "I shall say good-night to the both of you for now."

"S-Sure, Sai-kun," she stammered. "Good-night then."

Still smiling, Sai leaned in and to Sakura's surprise and delight, he brushed his lips across her forehead then kissed his index and middle finger before placing them on her stomach. "Sweet dreams."

And with that, he turned and walked away. Sakura watched him leave before robotically closing her door. She walked over to her couch and lay down on it, an arm over her belly and the other covering her eyes. She sighed, deeply. Removing her arm from her eyes, she stared at the ceiling… And realized the truth.

"Baby," she whispered, stroking her stomach. "I think it's official. I have fallen in love with your daddy."

* * *

Sai faced the closed door, hesitating to knock. For some reason, this piece of wood looked intimidating in the dark. Maybe he should come back in the morning when it was much more convenient. But, he needed answers, right at that moment. He couldn't sleep that night, questions filling his mind with no answers. He needed to know now. Making his decision, Sai raised a fist and rapped three times on the door. No answer. He rang the doorbell. Nothing. He knocked again. Still no answer. He kept knocking… and ringing the bell… and knocking… and ringing the bell… Until the door finally opened and a sullen-looking silver-haired, masked jounin stared at him, one eye closed, the other crinkled.

"Sai? What the hell are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, groggily. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Well, when I left my apartment, it was two in the morning and it's about a fifteen-minute walk to here so-"

"Never mind," the jounin interrupted, sounding annoyed. "What do you want?"

Sai paused before answering, "I need to distinguish this new feeling I'm having. I have an idea what it is, but I'm not certain."

The masked jounin groaned. "Sai, does it have to be now? Can't it wait 'til morning?"

Sai shook his head. "It could, but I am unable to sleep until I have my answer. You are the only person I can think of to ask Kakashi-senpai, if it's alright."

Kakashi stared at him before sighing and stepping to the side. "Come on in. I'll make some coffee."

Thanking him, Sai stepped into the apartment.

Nursing a mug of coffee at the kitchen table, the dark-haired artist began his tale…

"Lately, I have been feeling a number of different emotions."

Kakashi nodded, tapping the side of his own mug. "Go on."

"I have realized that so far, I have been feeling… jealousy."

His statement perked up Kakashi and he raised an eyebrow in interest. "Really?"

Sai nodded. "Yes."

"And when do you feel jealousy?"

The young Jounin hesitated before answering, "Whenever I think about Sasuke and Sakura-chan together, I feel… Anger, like I want to punch something, yet at the same time, I feel… Upset, as if my brother has died all over again."

"Ah… so you're jealous of Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Sai shrugged. "I suppose."

"Hmm… I see. And why do you think that is?"

Sai paused and furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. "I… believe… it is because… he is… was… always the center of Sakura-chan's attention. And… because when she first met me, I reminded her of him. And that all she saw whenever she looked at me was him."

Kakashi nodded silently, so Sai went on.

"And… I guess I want her to see me as Sai, and not as Sasuke."

Kakashi tilted his head to the side. "You know, I don't think she sees you as Sasuke at all; she's always pointing out the differences between the two of you. Besides, the last time I checked, she spends majority of her time with you and not him."

"Because I am her teammate and the father of the baby she carries," Sai answered, sounding a little upset. "I… I know those are why she spends time with me and I don't mind at all. But…"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "But…?"

Sai sighed and laid his chin on top of the table, like a child. "But I wish she'd also spend time with me because she enjoys my company."

The masked jounin just chuckled. "Oh I don't think you have to worry about that; I see her when she's with you Sai, before and after the baby. No matter how many times you've insulted her and called her names, she was always willing to spend time with you. You're both friends, are you not?"

With this statement, the dark-head raised his head from the table. "That is another matter I wish to discuss with you, senpai."

"Oh?" Kakashi said, with brimming interest; he had a gnawing idea where this was going.

Sai stared at his mug of coffee, watching the smoke swirl above the rim. "Lately, I have been feeling… odd… whenever I'm with Sakura. My heart begins to beat rapidly, as if I have run a mile for countless days. I feel many emotions when she's around… Joy… Contentment… Protectiveness… And… longing…"

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. "Longing?" Sai tilted his head. "What do you long for exactly, Sai?"

The artist paused and thought about it again. "I long for… how do you say it?… Oh yes. I long for something more."

"More? Like what?"

"Like… I wish to be with her always and never leaving her side. I wish to be with her through all the happiness and hurt she goes through. And… I wish to make her happy. I… I wish to be with her."

"When you think of Sakura, Sai, what comes to mind?"

At the question, Sai smiled genuinely as he immediately said, "How much her punches hurt…"

Kakashi sweat dropped.

"… and how gentle her hands are when she heals me after…"

Underneath his mask, Kakashi grinned as Sai continued to list more of Sakura's traits.

"… the sound of her laughter, though annoying at first, but when you get used to it, it actually sounds like music. Her aura, whenever she appears with her smile, her aura glows and you can feel it and it makes you happy. Her scent, she smells just like the sakura, sweet and pleasant. Also, when I think about her, I see the flower; something delicate that you have to care for and nurture in order to grow; but at the same time, she's not a flower, because though she's delicate, she's also strong and often, it is you she cares and nurtures and not the other way around. Am I making sense?"

Kakashi crossed his arms across his chest, leaned back on his chair, and nodded. "Yes, you are making perfect sense. Tell me, Sai, how long have you felt this way?"

Sai racked his brains. When indeed did he start feeling this way? "I believe it began after she and the Uchiha had their first fight."

"Which was when?"

"About nine months ago, I believe. I remember because she fell asleep on my shoulder at the training field; she had cried so much that day. When it started getting dark, I took her to Ino-san's because I wasn't sure if I was welcomed in her apartment."

Kakashi closed his eye and nodded. "I see."

Sai looked up at him. "What am I feeling, senpai?"

Kakashi simply chuckled and shook his head. "You've been feeling this way for nine months you say?"

"Hai."

Kakashi opened his eye and looked at the confused artist. "So you've been in love with Sakura for nine months and not even know it?"

Sai was struck speechless.

Love? Was this what he had been feeling all this time? The joy he felt whenever she was near him? The need to protect her and make her smile whenever the Uchiha broke her heart? This desire to always be with her and never leaving her side?

"I've read about love," Sai said. "It seems like a very complicated emotion. The most complicated to understand is the one they call romantic love, also known as being in love."

Kakashi nodded. "I agree. Being in love is the hardest and most complicated type of love there is. A lot of hurt goes with it like a package deal. But I think that's what makes it so appealing to people; our pride as humans makes us want to prove that love can conquer anything, even though sometimes, it doesn't. But, I also think hurt is what proves if a certain love is strong and true. Take Sakura and Sasuke, for example; it had to take Sasuke's betrayal and whole lot of pain for Sakura to realize that their love was not as strong as she thought it was."

Sai tilted his head to the side. "Have you ever been in love then, senpai?"

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. "Not exactly."

"Then how do you know that what I feel for Sakura is love?"

"I don't, but based on what I've been witnessing between you two, it appears that you have fallen in love with her. Besides, they say that love often begins with friendship; you're friends and you fell in love with her in the process. But you know what, Sai?" Kakashi stood up, went around the table, and clapped the artist on the shoulder. "Only you can answer that question. So ask yourself… Do you love Sakura? Are you _in_ love with her? Think about it."

Sai though about it. He thought about it on his way home. He thought about it as he got ready for bed the second time that night. He thought about it as he tossed and turned, and realizing that he still couldn't sleep, decided to sketch until he falls asleep. And as he sketched, he thought about Sakura… her smile… the way her eyes sparkled when she was happy… the sweet sound of her voice when she said his name, even if it was in anger… the softness of her features when she was content.

For the second time that day, Sai finished another portrait of Sakura. The first one was while she was watching T.V. that afternoon with an arm slung over her swollen belly, her concentration on the show. The second was drawn from his mind; it showed her bright eyes and wide smile whenever she looked at him.

Finally, Sai could sleep with the realization that, yes, he had fallen deeply in love with Sakura Haruno.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 7- New Feeling**

**A/N: Aside from Sai, Itachi, and Kakashi, I'm also crazy about Gaara. So I decided to mention his relationship with an OC from my fanfic, **_**Nagareboshi**_**. It's still in the works, but I hope you can stop by and check it out. Without further ado, here's Chapter 7. **

It was a beautiful day in Konohagakure. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and civilians were out and about, enjoying the wonderful weather. Sitting outside a cafe underneath an umbrella, each nursing ice cream sundaes were Sakura, Ino, Tenten, Hinata, and Temari, who was visitng from Sunagakure. Throughout the years, the five had become closer than ever and at the very rare moments that the fan-wielder from the Sand visited, they spent some time together to catch up. Currently, Temari was excitedly narrating the various improvements in her village since Gaara became Kazekage, he upcoming Chuunin exams that she and her boyfriend, Shikamaru, were organizing, and news about Gaara and his girlfriend, a young Chuunin teacher from Suna's Ninja Academy.

"Sakura-san and Tenten-san have met her. I hope the rest of you get to meet her too," Temari was saying. "Minako-san is absolutely amazing. Between all of you and me, I think Gaara's waiting until she turns eighteen to propose."

"Oh my gosh!" Ino squealed. "Really? That's so cute! I would love to meet the girl who turned Gaara no Sabaku into a love struck Casanova."

"I'm glad Gaara-san has found someone," Hinata said, smiling.

Tenten nodded in agreement. "I like Minako-san, she seemed very nice." She sighed. "Time sure flies, huh? Seems only yesterday he almost destroyed our village."

The four laughed. The mention of the invasion from five years ago no longer affected them as much as before; Konoha and Suna were faithful allies to each other and had put the incident behind them.

As they continued to chatter, Temari noticed that their pink-haired friend was absent-mindedly picking at her sundae, not even laughing along with them. She looked deep in thought.

"Sakura-san?" the fan-wielder said.

No reply.

Hinata tried. "Are you alright, Sakura-chan?"

The pinkette didn't answer, only continued to stir the ice cream around the glass dish with her spoon.

"Hey forehead, what's up?" Ino placed a hand on her shoulder and Sakura blinked.

"Ano… Gomenasai. I was, uh, thinking about something."

The blonde smirked. "I heard Sai returned yesterday. Did you both spend the night together?"

Heat rushed to Sakura's face and she instantly shook her head. "N-No! Of course not! He… He just stayed for lunch and dinner, that's all."

Ino waved a hand, nonchalantly. "Sure, spare us the details."

The red deepened. "Nothing happened, okay? Besides, once was enough!"

The blonde shook her head, giggling. "Sheesh, I was just trying to make you laugh a bit. We know nothing happened. You already have a kid on the way, it's not safe."

Sakura pursed her lips then closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry guys." She turned her head to the fan-wielder. "Sorry Temari-san. I know we're here to enjoy ourselves and catch up. But I'm a little tired, so I guess that's why I'm so cranky."

Temari just nodded in understanding, an amused smile on her face. "Don't worry about it Sakura-san. Being pregnant must be a drag. I don't think I ever want to have kids."

Right away, Ino grinned deviously at her. "Are you sure about that, Temari-san? 'Cause I'm pretty sure the Nara clan could use an heir. It can't end with that lazy bastard you call your boyfriend; 'cause that's just sad."

In a very rare occurrence, Temari blushed and defended herself by saying that Shikamaru hasn't even proposed yet.

"Man, he's slow!" Ino said. "I swear, if he doesn't ask you by the time you're twenty-five, he's gonna get it from me! I mean, Naruto had the nerve to ask Hinata to be his girlfriend and we all thought he didn't have the balls to ask any girl out, much less the heiress to a prestigious clan like the Hyuugas!" Hinata blushed at this. "Proposing to the Kazekage's sister should be a piece of cake. And speaking of Hyuugas, Neji!" Ino turned to Tenten who was suddenly interested in her spoon. "Don't even get me started on that all-work-but-no-play teammate of yours. Seriously, how many times have you two gone out on a date?"

Tenten bit her lip. "Um… I'm not sure."

Ino nodded her head enthusiastically. She wagged a finger at the brunette weapons mistress. "Exactly! If you two had gone on more dates than you can count, then he should be asking you by now. Jeez! What is up with these guys? And they call themselves shinobis? Kami! Even Sai had the guts to ask Sakura to marry him."

"He what?" three voices chorused.

"Pig!"

Realizing that she practically yelled it out and that a few of the other customers were now staring at them curiously, Ino grinned, sheepishly. "Whoopsie…"

And just like that, Sakura was bombarded with questions from the other kunoichis.

"When did this happen? And how?" Tenten demanded.

"He asked you that soon? You're not even dating!" Temari said.

"W-Was Sai-kun serious?" Hinata hesitantly asked.

Sakura glared at Ino before answering their questions one by one. "He asked right after his mission with Naruto and Yamato-taichou. They planted this idea in his head that the baby will become evil if it doesn't have two parents."

They stared blankly at her.

"Yeah, don't ask, Naruto's an idiot and Yamato-taichou's getting infected, no offense Hinata-chan. And yes, I do believe he was serious, even though we skipped the boyfriend-girlfriend part and I highly doubt he wants to be my boyfriend."

Sakura's own statement was a blow to her, but because she was kunoichi, she was an expert at hiding emotions and didn't show this one. It was embarrassing enough that Ino basically announced to the whole village that Sai proposed to her, skipping the dating step. Sakura was afraid of what might happen if Ino found out she was in love with Sai; the blonde would probably shriek it out so loud that it would reach the Land of Iron.

Deciding to change the subject, Sakura turned to Temari. "So, what's this about Gaara proposing to Minako-san?"

Smiling slightly at her, Temari began to narrate the events leading up to Gaara's first, and most likely only, relationship. As Sakura listened, she realized that for once in her eighteen-almost-nineteen years of life, she was jealous of Gaara. Lucky guy. He had the guts to tell this girl how he felt while Sakura couldn't even look at Sai directly in the eye now. She had been avoiding him for the past couple of days and hopefully, she'd be able to go through another day not seeing him. Her mind was much to muddled up and confused with her revelation that she couldn't face him, not yet.

* * *

There was an unceasing pounding on his door. It appeared that if it wasn't answered soon, the person behind it would smash it open. Sai quickly washed his hands and wiped them on a towel before proceeding to answer it. On the other side of his door was Naruto, reeled over and panting from exhaustion.

_Did he run all the way here? _Sai thought, looking amused.

"I… _pant_… got your… _pant_… messenger mouse… _pant_… _pant_…" The blonde took a deep breathe. "What's the emerg-" He looked up and paused when he saw the dark-haired artist. Then, he began to laugh. "W-What the heck happened to you?"

As Sai raised an eyebrow, Naruto pointed a shaking finger at him, still hysterical. "Hahaha… Y-You're… Man, you look like a ghost! What is that? Powder?"

And he went on laughing. If it was possible, he probably would have died from laughter. Rolling his eyes, Sai stepped aside so the blonde could enter. "It's not powder you dickless wonder. It's flour."

Naruto tried to stifle his laughter, but a few chuckles managed to escape. He cleared his throat. "Alrighty then, so why are you covered in flour?"

Sai gestured for him to follow as he went into the kitchen. Upon entering, Naruto's eyes widened seeing the mess of the usually spotless room that was once Sai's kitchen. Hadn't Sai mentioned that he couldn't cooked? And that he always ate out or at Sakura's? There were dirty bowls and pots everywhere; different knives stained with what looked like tomato juice mixed with flour were placed on top of a chopping board; on the stove was a pot of something that Naruto couldn't properly describe except that it was brown and overflowed at the rim; and the walls were splattered with white flour and solid dough.

"What in the name of Hokage happened in here?" the blonde said, beginning to back out of the kitchen door.

But Sai grabbed him by his orange top and dragged him back inside. "This is the emergency."

His blue eyes opened wide and he shook his head. "No way! I am absolutely, positively NOT going to clean your kitchen! You made the mess! Do it yourself you lazy teme!"

Sai stared at him before chuckling and shaking his head. "Although I would require your services in cleaning my kitchen, that is not my emergency. You have the habit of jumping to conclusions."

Naruto scowled. "Then what's the emergency?"

Without a word, Sai walked over to the kitchen table, picked up an open book, and showed it to him. Naruto peered at it; it was a cook book. Looking surprised, he looked at the dark-haired artist.

"You need help making odango?"

Sai smiled and tilted his head. "Hai."

"What for?"

"For Sakura-chan. She's always cooking for me. So I thought for once, I should cook for her."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, giving Sai a suspicious look. "O-kay." He scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure how to do this either; I hardly cook at all. Hinata's good at it, but she's out with Temari-san and the other girls right now." Placing a finger under his chin, Naruto thought about it then sighed. "Alright, I'll help you out."

With this reply, Sai beamed, like a child does after given a new toy. "Arigatou, dickless."

Deciding to ignore this comment, Naruto began to read the instructions. "You know, I'm not as clueless as you think," he said, picking up the ingredients and the measuring cup.

Sai gave him a questioning look.

Naruto continued, "You're doing this to make up for something bad you did, aren't you?" He grinned. "Soooo? What'd you do?"

Sai simply grabbed the bag of sugar and the spare measuring cup.

Naruto pouted. "Come on Sai. Tell me. I promise I won't tell a soul."

He just shrugged. "Let's just say I'm doing this because I've realized how important Sakura-chan is to me."

He continued to work. At first, all Naruto could do was stare at him. Sai was acting strangely, as if he was… Naruto recognized this behavior; he was behaving the same way when he realized his feelings for Hinata two years go. But no, Sai couldn't be in love with Sakura. It was simply preposterous, impossible, unheard-of… Right?

* * *

The scent of newly-cooked chicken stir-fry wafted throughout Sakura's apartment. The pink-haired kunoichi smiled, taking in the delicious aroma before scooping some onto a plate. Dinner time! She took the plate to the kitchen table and was about to grab some chopsticks when her doorbell rang. Wondering who would come to see her at this time, she answered the door.

Standing in front of her apartment and carrying a small Tupperware container was Sai, his ever-present smile plastered on. Immediately, Sakura felt her stomach lurch… Or was that the baby moving happily at the sight of its father?

"S-Sai…" She cleared her throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a present for you."

She felt a smile tugging her lips. "But it's not my birthday."

He shrugged. "I know. May I come in?" he asked.

Sakura stepped aside. "Of course. Um… I'm about to have dinner. Did you eat yet?"

He shook his head and Sakura felt herself swelling with excitement. Sai's staying for dinner! Although she had been avoiding him for the past couple of days, she could honestly say that she missed seeing him. She missed his company and his constant attempts at making her happy. Flashing him a smile, she led him to the kitchen. "Come and join me." She took another plate and scooped some of the stir-fry onto it.

Sai sat on the table and she placed the plate in front of him.

"Itadakimasu!"

As they ate, Sakura told him about her and the conversation she and the other kunoichis had with Temari that afternoon. Sai listened with interest and fascination; he had only met the Sand Siblings a few times so he didn't know much about them. When Sakura mentioned that the Kazekage was planning to propose to his girlfriend, Sai remembered his own proposal and wondered if since now that he loved her, was it alright if he asked her to marry him? That was the reason people marry, right? Because they loved each other. Besides, Sakura did say that she would think about it. It had been several months since then, surely she had enough time already?

"So, you said you have something for me?"

Sai blinked once before realizing that she was indicating the container he brought. "Oh, yes." He took the container and opened it. "Naruto helped me make them and I hope you enjoy them, Sakura."

She noticed the lack of honorific in her name, but decided to ignore it. Instead, she stared at the neatly arranged odango buns in the container. Sai made these?

"You… You cooked?" she blurted out, thunderstruck.

Sai nodded, beaming brightly. "Try one."

Now, Sakura felt her heart swell with pride and adoration. Sai didn't cook, which was why he spent most of his dinner outside or at her apartment. She felt touched at the gesture and couldn't help but hope that it meant something.

_Damnit! I'm falling hard again! _she cussed. _No Sakura. You shouldn't. This is Sai we're talking about. Sai. Don't forget that. He probably doesn't even know what love means, anyway; it's too much to hope._

Tentatively, Sakura reached out and took an odango. At his expectant face, she took a small bite… and grabbed her tea cup quickly to help down it. How much salt did he put in this?

Her reaction was the opposite that Sai expected. She was supposed to smile and tell him how good it was and possibly give him a kiss for the thoughtful gift; at least, that was what Naruto told him that women did when a man cooked for her. But then again, the blonde could have been lying. Sakura didn't look pleased. She didn't look happy either. So, her reaction meant that she didn't like it. Which meant he did the instructions wrong. Which meant that he probably made her sick!

Sai's eyes widened in panic and he stood up quickly and was in front of her in a flash. Kneeling on the floor, he placed his hands on her knees. "Sakura-chan… I'm… I'm so sorry! Do you feel sick? How's the baby? Do you need to go to the hospital? I'll carry you! Hold on-"

To his surprise, Sakura giggled and placed her hands on top of his, shaking her head. "I'm fine; the baby's okay too," she assured him, smiling in amusement. "It's just that… I think you placed a little too much salt in the odango… and undercooked them."

His eyes widened in alarm.

"But no harm done," she added quickly. Breathing in deeply, she lifted a hand and stroked his cheek with her thumb, gently. "Arigatou, Sai-kun, I love your present."

Sai began to look confused. "But… It wasn't good."

She continued to smile, softly this time. "No one's ever tried to cook for me before. You're the first. And though it wasn't perfect, it was the best present anyone could ever give me."

To Sai's delight, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck. He could smell her sweet scent and his heart began pounding in its usual fast-pace whenever she was near him. He was about to return the hug when suddenly, Sakura broke away from him. He felt empty without her in his arms. But when he looked up, an excited smile was grazing her lips. She quickly took his hand and placed it over her belly.

"Can you feel that?" she asked him, excitedly. "The baby's kicking!"

And indeed, it was. Sai could feel him/her kicking. Feeling this interaction between him and his child, he was suddenly so very happy. His baby was kicking; probably inherited Sakura's immense strengh. Then, he began to get worried. "Are you not being hurt, Sakura-chan?"

She shrugged. "Just a little. But it's normal. It just means that the baby is happy and excited." She looked at him. "I think he's happy that we're getting along like this."

Sai looked up at her, unconsciously slipping his other hand inside his pocket. He fingered the smooth velvet ring box and debated whether to ask her now or not. Well, why not? He was here now, he loved her and wanted to be with her, badly. Besides, he believed that their child was probably giving him a sign, a sign that he/she wanted the two of them to be together.

"Sakura-chan?" he said, softly.

She looked up from her belly to him. "Hai?"

Sai was suddenly feeling nervous. He had done this before. Then why did he feel anxious now?

He took a deep breath. "Sakura-chan… Is it possible… I mean, will you-"

"SAKURA-CHAAAAAN!"

_Damn you, dickless idiot! _Sai cursed as Sakura turned her attention away from him and onto the front door.

"Damnit Naruto, don't you knock?" she screeched at him, standing up from her chair.

"Sorry! You forgot to lock the door, so I just went in."

"What do you want anyway?"

"I wanted to know if you liked the odango."

Sakura flashed Sai an apologetic look. "It wasn't that good."

Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Really? I was pretty sure we did it right." He laughed, sheepishly. "I guess I should have taken Sai's advice to taste it before giving it to you."

Taking his words in, Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and cracked her knuckles, menacingly. She took a step towards the blonde jinchuriki who began to back away, fearfully.

"So you were the reason I ate salty and undercooked odango?" she accused.

"Uh… Sorry? Ahhh! Sai! Help me out here!"

But the dark-haired artist was on his hands and knees on the floor, upset and feeling the need for revenge on the blonde. If you ask him, Sakura could knock herself out with beating Naruto into a pulp for not heeding Sai's advice to taste the odango… and for having bad timing and ruining Sai's proposal.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 8- The last straw for Sasuke**

The sun was beginning to set from the horizon. Day creatures of various kinds crawled into their homes while nocturnal creatures crawled out to begin their own version of morning. In a deserted forest clearing, a team of Lead shinobi was setting up camp for the night. They had just finished the B-rank mission they were assigned and were currently traveling back to their village after a week of being away. Two more day's journey and they'd be home.

The team leader, Sasuke, began barking out orders. "Misaki, find the stream we passed earlier and refill our bottles."

The male Chuunin nodded, grabbed their water bottles and left.

"Rima, you start the food."

The sole female member of the team sighed. "Stupid stereotypes," she mumbled, grabbing their food packs.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes. "Usui, you're helping me set up the tent."

"Hai, Sasuke-sama!" The young male Chuunin saluted. He idolized the Uchiha and followed him around like a lost puppy.

Though he wasn't a jounin, Sasuke was given position as team leader due to his skills. He knew, however, that it would take him more than just a couple of A and B-rank missions for Tsunade to trust him enough to be a jounin. At least she trusted him with a team.

With the tent set up, the food all cooked and eaten, and their water supply stocked up, the team settled in for the night. Sasuke took first watch as the others rested. The raven-haired Uchiha leaned back against a tree and looked up into the night sky. He couldn't wait to go home; he missed Sakura badly. Surely by now, she had come to her senses and was ready to welcome him back to her life? After several years of chasing after him, she wasn't about to give up now, was she? In Sasuke's opinion, it was utterly ridiculous. Sakura was just going through a phase because of her pregnancy. Once this was all over, she'd realize her mistake in choosing Sai and go back to him, Sasuke Uchiha.

At the thought of the artist who replaced him in all he owned, Sasuke frowned. How could anyone say that the two of them were similar? In looks, maybe, but in everything else, they were most definitely different. How could anyone think the ex-Root was better than him? Worthy of choosing than him? Instinctively, Sasuke reached into his pack and pulled out a small bottle of whiskey. He preferred its taste over sake's. The alcohol burned his throat as he downed it and he could feel its effects taking over.

_Sakura will come back to me._

He raised the bottle to his lips again.

_She's mine._

He took another swig.

_I won't lose her to the likes of him._

* * *

Meanwhile, in Konoha…

"Sai, where the heck are we going?" Sakura asked, waving a hand in front of her, blindly. Her other hand was clasped in Sai's own as he led the blindfolded girl to their destination. "I swear, if you're playing a joke on me, I'll make sure you die a slow and painful death."

Sai only chuckled. "Now, now, Sakura-chan. You know I wouldn't play a joke on you. At least, not while you're pregnant. Maybe sometime after you give birth."

"Hmph, haha," Sakura let out a sarcastic laugh, but held onto his hand for dear life.

"Just a little further." They stopped and she heard a door open. The artist pulled her along, gently as she took careful steps. They stopped again and Sai placed a hand on her waist and turned her towards a different direction. "Ready?"

Sakura shrugged, acting nonchalant but was in actuality, curious as to why he wanted to take her out for her lunch break. "Bring it on."

Sai untied the blindfold and Sakura blinked several times, adjusting her eyes to the sudden light. Looking around, she realized that they were in his apartment. They were eating here? The last time he tried to cook, she almost had food poisoning.

"Uh, Sai, you didn't try to cook again did you?" she asked, nervously.

He chuckled, making her smile. "No, I ordered take-out. But I have something to show you. Something I sketched."

That was when Sakura noticed that she was facing a covered canvas. Sai stood next to it and slowly removed the white cloth, revealing the artwork. Sakura inhaled a sharp breath. It was of the two them. They were side-by-side in the sketch, Sai's arm around her waist; both were wearing their shinobi uniforms and forehead protectors, soft smiles evident on their faces. Slowly, Sakura approached the sketch to take a closer look. It was drawn with such perfect clarity and amazing details; Sai's deep dark eyes, even the small scar on Sakura's neck that she forgot existed. However, the Sakura in the sketch, didn't have arms and was only left with a large, blank space.

The kunoichi flashed Sai a questioning look.

"It's not quite finished yet," he answered, moving to stand beside her. "The baby is supposed to go here," he indicated a spot in the white space. "I decided to wait until he or she is born so I can get your arms and his or her image right." He looked at her. "Do you like it?"

Sakura, though feeling speechless, forced herself to reply. "You made a family portrait?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that what this is called? I just thought it would be nice to have a little image of our family. I'm planning to give it you after the baby's born, for your apartment." Sometime ago, both had agreed to take turns taking care of the child every other month in their own respective homes, though the other was free to visit and spend time with the child whenever he wants. "I'll sketch a similar one for myself sometime, but this is for you. So that even if we're not a real family, our child will still believe so when he or she sees this picture."

"Wait, what do you mean not a real family?" Sakura asked, surprised at his choice of words.

Sai furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, is not a real family composed of a mother and a father who are happily married with a child who was conceived out of love?"

Sakura blushed as her heart pounded against her chest. She could hear the longing in Sai's voice; he wanted this type of family, this real family. She thought back to his proposal… Dang! Why couldn't he just ask her now? Did he forget that a few months ago, he had tried to ask her to be his wife? Why wasn't he proposing to her now? Now when her answer was the one he wanted to hear.

"Sai… I…" Their eyes locked and she could feel herself falling into them. Sakura bit her lip and turned her head away. She looked at the portrait again. She wanted this family too, this real family. She had dreamt of it for so long and now she could have it. Then why wasn't she making the first move and telling Sai that she wanted this family too? Why wasn't she telling him that her answer to his proposal was "yes?"

Sai continued to smile, oblivious to the conflicts in Sakura's mind. He took the discarded sheet and covered the sketch again. "I'll be able to finish it in," he counted. "Five months time." He took her hand. "Now, for lunch. I ordered the odango this time, don't worry."

Sakura could only nod.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Sasuke's team landed gracefully outside the gates of Konoha. Nodding to the guards, the Uchiha ordered Misaki and Rima to give their mission report to the Hokage.

"Why can't you do it?" Rima asked, sounding annoyed.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. "Because I ordered you to. Look, I have something I have to take care of. Just go."

Misaki took Rima's arm. "Come on, let's go."

And with that, the two left. Usui turned to Sasuke, eagerly, but the older Chuunin was already walking away. Disappointed, the young shinobi headed for home.

Sasuke maneuvered his way around town, heading for his only love's apartment. He needed to talk to her, badly. He missed her. But when he arrived, her apartment was empty; she wasn't home. He would have waited for her, like he did the past couple of times he confronted her, but right now, he was too impatient. He needed to see her, immediately.

After searching the hospital, the department store, the marketplace, even the training grounds, he decided that she was probably in one other place: Ichiraku's. Indeed, he found her and the rest of the new team seven seated at the counter, eating ramen. No one noticed his presence and he stayed out of sight, listening in to their conversation. Naruto, no matter how many times Sakura scolded him no to, was talking with his mouth full of noodles. Next to him, the said girl was giving the blonde a disgusted look.

"Seriously Naruto, stop talking with your mouth full!"

"Buh Sakuah-ahn-"

Sakura held up a hand. "Swallow before talking to me."

In obedience, Naruto swallowed before grinning at her. "Happy?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why in the world does Hinata date you?"

Next to her, Sai chuckled. "I wonder the same thing, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke felt himself go cold. Sakura-chan? Since when did his replacement start calling her "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura laughed. "It's a mystery, Sai-kun."

Sai-kun? Since when did she start calling _him_ Sai-kun? Sakura reserved that honorific for Sasuke and Sasuke only.

Clenching his fists, Sasuke turned and walked away from the restaurant, his heart heavy with anger. He needed a drink.

* * *

"… I sure can't wait for Konohamaru's birthday party tonight," Naruto said, excitedly, as the three exited Ichiraku's. "Sixteen is a very special age, ya' know."

Sakura smiled. "Definitely. Though I do wonder why he's having it at night."

Naruto shrugged. "Guess he wants to feel grown-up."

"Well, at least the senseis will be there. Knowing you as an influence to that kid, we could use some chaperones."

Naruto frowned. "Hey… What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Konohamaru would most likely end up as big as an idiot as you when he reaches our age," Sai answered, pleasantly. "Though I bet his-"

"Ahem." Sakura narrowed her eyes at him.

"Assets are much larger than yours," Sai finished.

Naruto was surprised. Since when did Sai use the word "asset" when describing… well, when describing assets? The ink-using bastard usually had no shame when mentioning these things. And now, just one "ahem" from Sakura had him actually being subtle? What the heck?

"Why are you always taking her side?" Naruto whined. "And since when did you become all polite?"

Sai simply shrugged. "I can change." With this statement, his head turned to a proud-looking Sakura beside him.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion but decided not to dwell on it. Maybe it was just a phase? After all, Sakura was having Sai's kid, so maybe that was why Sai was suddenly acting all different.

The two shinobis dropped her off at her apartment.

"We're picking you up at six later, okay?" Naruto said. "Then we're going to the Hyuuga Compound for Hinata."

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Sakura nodded. "For the hundredth…"

"Twelfth, actually," Sai said.

"… time, Naruto. Yes. Six o'clock sharp." She shook her head. "I don't understand why you have to pick me up. I can go over there by myself, you know."

Before Naruto could answer, Sai said, "We just don't want anything happening to you."

"Sheesh you two, I'm pregnant, not terminally ill." She shook her head again. "But whatever, do what you want."

"Alrighty, six o'clock tonight, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, raising a thumb and winking at her.

Sakura sighed. "Yes, Naruto. You can go now."

Naruto waved good-bye and began to walk away. Meanwhile, Sai lingered a bit. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"Aren't you going home to get ready?"

His face held a confused look. "Are you angry that we want to escort you tonight?"

Immediately, Sakura felt her heart melt the annoyance she was feeling earlier. She shook her head. "It's not that. I just wish that everybody would stop treating me like I'm weak."

Taking in her words, he asked, "Do my concerns make you feel weak?"

Quickly, she shook her head again. "No, not at all. I'm touched that you all care, really. Especially you, Sai-kun. It's just that… I guess I kinda miss being able to do things without people getting worried that I'll get a miscarriage or something." She smiled at him. "But I really do appreciate what you and Naruto have been doing for me, you know, for keeping me safe all the time."

Sai's lips upturned into a soft smile that made Sakura's heart flutter.

"I'll see you tonight then, Sakura-chan." He leaned in and kissed her forehead and placed a hand on her belly for a few seconds; this had become Sai's way of saying good-bye and Sakura didn't mind at all.

Blushing lightly, she stammered, "See you tonight, Sai-kun."

With another smile and a wave, Sai turned and walked away. Sakura watched his back as he disappeared around the corner before entering her apartment, feeling lighter than ever, as if she wasn't carrying an extra few pounds from her future child.

* * *

Sakura prepared herself for Konohamaru Sarutobi's sixteenth birthday. For the occasion, she decided to pamper herself and put on some make-up; foundation, a little blush and eye shadow, a bit of eyeliner, and lip gloss. She put on a knee-length pink maternity dress, tied a red belt around her waist, and slipped a pair of pink flats on her feet. There! It hardly looked like she was four months pregnant. She took Konohamaru's present (a brand new set of kunais and shurikens with his initials engraved on the blades) and placed it inside her bag along with two kunais and shuriken. And then, she waited for six o'clock for Naruto and Sai's arrival.

However, it was barely a quarter to six when there came an incessant pounding on her door.

_Wow, they're early_, she thought, getting up from the couch and moving to open the door. _What is up with loud knocking? I may be pregnant but I'm not deaf! Naruto, you baka._

Sai would never knock on her door like that.

"Sheesh, Naruto, we're not late," Sakura called through the door as she twisted the knob. "We'll get to Hina-" She stopped, seeing the person standing on her door step. It was neither Naruto nor Sai. It was Sasuke; he was still wearing his shinobi clothes and based on his disheveled appearance, he just arrived from a mission. "W-What are you doing here?"

The Uchiha flashed her a smirk. "Missed me?" He proceeded to engulf Sakura in his arms.

The pinkette pushed him away. He reeked of alcohol!

"What the hell? Sasuke, are you drunk?"

He continued to smile, crookedly at her as he stumbled into the apartment.

"I missed you, Sakura."

Sakura took a few steps back, placing a protective arm around her middle. "Sasuke, please leave. You're drunk."

He frowned, his hands clumsily reaching out for her. "Come on, Sakura. You didn't mean what you told me that you don't want me anymore. I know you. No matter how much we fought, you always, _always_ came back to me. This one isn't any different."

Sakura's heart began pounding in anxiety. She didn't like the look he was giving her; it was a hungry look, he looked like a starving wolf the way his eyes scanned over her body, as if examining her. She needed to get him out of her apartment, fast! Where were Naruto and Sai?

_Seriously, Sakura? _inner-Sakura yelled at her. _You're depending on them? You can do this yourself!_

_Haven't heard from you in a while. And hello? I'm pregnant! I can't handle him by myself._

_You can with your chakra-infused punches!_

_I can't do that to him! He's drunk! He has no idea what he's doing! And besides, did I mention the fact that I'M PREGNANT?_

_Screw that! Beat him up!_

Knowing that her power punches were her only hope in this situation, Sakura took a deep breath and backed away further into the room. Maybe she could stall him for a bit…

* * *

"Come on dickless, we're going to be late," Sai said, impatiently.

"Hold on!" Naruto gave a frustrated tug at the laces on his sneakers, securing the triple-knot for the final time. "There, that's not gonna loosen up anymore."

Sai rolled his eyes and continued to walk in the direction of Sakura's apartment. The blonde caught up to him, arms behind his head. Both were wearing casual clothes for the occasion. While Naruto wore an orange button-down shirt and black pants with a kunai hidden in each sleeve, Sai had on a black, Chinese-style long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and his ever present backpack of art supplies as well as his tanto; they may be going to a party but it never hurt to be prepared.

"So what did you get Konohamaru?" Naruto asked, gesturing to the blue-colored gift bag on Sai's hand.

The dark-head shrugged. "A box of watercolor paints."

Naruto chuckled. "Watercolor paints? Seriously?"

"I hardly know him, so I didn't know what to get," Sai defended. "Sakura-chan said that if you don't know what to get for someone, get him something that you like (1). And I like watercolor paints; they're easy to work with next to ink."

Naruto just looked at him then shrugged. "Whatever. Anyway, I got him these!" He held up an envelope with Konohamaru's name on the front.

Sai furrowed his eyebrows. "What is that?"

Naruto grinned. "A nice card, a whole bunch of coupons for Ichiraku's, and a gift certificate for the movies."

Sai looked at him. "Some things that you like?"

The blonde's grin disappeared and he pouted. "Okay, so I didn't know what to get him either. I guess Sakura gave us both some good advice."

Sai smirked. "Indeed."

* * *

"Sasuke, please," Sakura pleaded, all the while gathering just enough chakra into her hand. "I've already told you, I don't love you any more."

The Uchiha continued to frown as he moved closer to her. "You can't be serious. You've always loved me."

"But that was before I realized that you don't love me enough. That was before I realized that we're not compatible at all. You're selfish and conceited, you don't care about me."

"But I do!"

"No, you don't!" He was so close. She got ready to punch.

"Hey, Sai?"

"Yes, dickless?"

Naruto looked ready to retort before deciding against it. Instead, he shook his head. "Is there anything going on between you and Sakura-chan?"

Sai tilted his head to the side. "Should there be something occurring between me and Sakura-chan?"

The blonde shrugged. "I dunno. I just… I mean, are you…?" He paused.

Sai raised an inquiring eyebrow at him. "Am I what?"

Naruto stopped walking and blocked his way, looking serious. "Are you… in love with her?"

Sai betrayed no emotion, but a small blush found its way to his cheeks. He shrugged and walked around Naruto. "So what if I am?"

The blonde caught up to him. "Nothing, really. Just that…" He looked at Sai. "Just that you promise that you won't hurt her, physically or emotionally." He allowed a small smile to graze his whiskered-face. "'Cause if you do, I will personally kill you myself."

Realizing that this was Naruto's way of saying that he approved of Sai loving Sakura, the artist smiled gratefully at him. "I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Quick as lightning, Sasuke grabbed her wrists and held them so hard that it hurt Sakura. She could feel the bruises forming.

"Sasuke! Let go!"

"NO!" His eyes flashed dangerously as he threw her on the couch and pinned her arms over her head. She struggled in his hold. Even when he was drunk, he was still stronger than her. She couldn't punch him.

The two finally reached Sakura's apartment complex. They were about to head over to her apartment when a woman ran out of the building. When she saw them, she ran up to them.

"You're Haruno-san's friends, right?" she asked, sounding panicked.

They looked at each other before answering, "Yes, we are."

Immediately, she tugged on their sleeves and began pulling them towards the apartment. "Something's wrong! There's screaming coming from her place! I'm the only one besides her in our whole floor and there are no other shinobis. Please, you have to-"

But the woman need not say more since the two were already running at top speed towards Sakura's apartment.

* * *

"Sasuke, please!"

He was kissing her neck and Sakura could feel the hot tears prickling at her eyes. When four months ago, this would bring thrills throughout her body, right now it all felt so wrong. This was wrong! She struggled to get him off her. She kicked her legs and flailed her arms, but it was no use. He had her.

"LET ME GO UCHIHA!"

"I love you, Sakura…" her murmured in her ear.

His voice sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine. Unlike the lovely feeling Sai gave her whenever he said her name. At the thought of Sai, Sakura felt a glimmer of strength; Sasuke couldn't have her. She was Sai's. She wanted Sai.

"Sakura-chan!"

_Sai! Naruto! They're here!_

"Help me!" she managed to scream.

Almost immediately, her door blasted open. At the door way was Sai with Naruto and his Kage Bunshin; the blonde had used Rasengan to open the door. Distracted, Sasuke lifted his head towards the door and Sakura took this opportunity to knee him in the gut. In surprise, he sprawled off of her and Sakura pressed herself closer to the edge of the sofa, shaking, her arms around her stomach.

At the sight of Sasuke on top of Sakura, Sai's eyes went blank and he felt himself go cold. Without a word, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a fresh scroll, a paintbrush, and a bottle of ink. In excessive speed, he drew three lions before yelling out his jutsu. The lions came to life and sprang at Sasuke who, even in a drunken state, managed to dodge them.

"When a lady asks you to leave her alone, it is advisable that you leave her alone," Sai said, his voice blank and emotionless.

Sasuke flashed him an angry look and pulled out his katana at the same time Sai pulled out his tanto.

As Naruto moved to help, the artist raised a hand. "Don't interfere, dickless. Take care of Sakura."

"Sakura's mine," the Uchiha growled.

And to the pink-haired girl's horror, Sasuke attacked; Sai blocked his katana and responded with attacks of his own. The Uchiha blocked them as well. Again and again, the two went for each other, anger and jealousy a motivation for one, love and protectiveness for the other. After what felt like an endless battle, Sai's tanto managed to scratch Sasuke's arm. In anger, the Uchiha went for Sai's shoulder. His katana grazed the sleeve of Sai's shirt; it ripped, leaving behind a fresh wound. Sakura gasped.

"Stop! Stop it!" she screamed, clutching her stomach. "Naruto! Do something! Please!"

Meanwhile, Naruto was stuck. He didn't know whether to go by what Sai ordered him to or what Sakura was begging him.

Momentarily distracted by Sakura's cries, Sai took a quick glance at her. Taking advantage of this, Sasuke stabbed him on his side. The artist hissed in pain and fell on his knees onto the floor. Instantly, Naruto pushed aside Sai's command and went for Sasuke. The blonde threw himself at his so-called best friend and grabbed him by the waist, pinning the Uchiha to the floor.

"Get off me, dobe!"

But Naruto held him still. "You're my friend teme, but I won't let you hurt Sakura-chan more than you already have."

And using the technique Sakura taught him, Naruto applied pressure on a spot on Sasuke's neck. Instantly, the raven-haired shinobi froze for a moment then slumped onto the floor, unconscious.

For what felt like a long time, the three stayed in silence, none of them saying a word; the only sounds heard were Naruto and Sai's heavy panting and Sakura's soft whimpering. Finally, Sakura shakily got up from the couch and scrambled over to Sai. She fell on her knees in front of him.

"S-Sai-kun…"

He flashed her a small, pained smile. "I'm alright. How are you?"

She returned the smile weakly. "I-I'm fine." She raised her hand and produced the familiar green cloak of chakra.

"Sakura-chan, don't-"

"N-No… Y-You need this."

Without another word, she placed her hand on his shoulder and began to heal him. The broken skin mended themselves until the blood stopped flowing. Then, she proceeded to heal this side. It was deeper than the one on his shoulder; Sakura knew that this one would require plenty of chakra. But she also knew that she mustn't push it; chakra drainage could affect the baby. But… Sai needed this. She needed him; she and the baby needed him.

"Sakura-chan…" he wrapped a hand around her wrist, gently. "This is enough. You don't have to-"

"N-No!" Her eyes began to brim with tears. "Let me heal you, Sai. Please."

She was stubborn, Sai knew that. But he knew the possible effects on the pregnancy if she used too much chakra. He tried to stop her again when he noticed blood running down Sakura's legs. Sai knew Sasuke was a bastard, but he wouldn't physically hurt Sakura, would he?

Naruto must have noticed too since he asked, "Sakura-chan, are you injured?"

Sakura turned to the blonde, who was staring at her legs. Her brow furrowed. "N-No… W-Why do you ask?" She turned back to Sai, who was also looking at the blood. Curious, she followed his gaze and her green orbs widened in surprise. They were right. She was bleeding. She retrieved her hand from Sai's side and tentatively touched the blood; it was warm and definitely came from her. But she didn't have a wound…

Suddenly, realization struck her; "N-No…" she stammered, shaking her head. "N-No…!"

And she let out a cry, not of pain but of despair. Immediately, Sai ignored his bleeding side and scooped her up in his arms.

"Get her to the hospital, I'll take care of Sasuke," Naruto said quickly, turning pale.

He didn't need to tell Sai twice. The dark-haired artist was already rushing out of the apartment, summoning all of his chakra to gain as much speed as possible. In his arms, Sakura kept staring at the blood; she wanted to be numb, like Sai was when they first met him. She didn't want to feel any emotion, because this pain she was feeling hurt much more than a thousand kunais. And she wanted it to end. She wanted it all to end. Crimson was the last color Sakura saw before losing consciousness in Sai's arms.

A/N: (1) I got this line from Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya. So, technically, I don't own this line.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 9- Confessions **

**A/N: This chapter, in my opinion, is very cheesy. But then again, I like cheesy. Enjoy! I have a feeling that you'll like this chapter.**

_It was dark. So dark. There was nothing in sight. Everywhere she turned, it was only darkness. And she was alone. She tried to call out to someone, anyone; the only replies were the echoes of her own voice. She began to walk, but she couldn't feel the ground. What was this place? And how did she arrive here? Feeling more alone than ever in her life, she began to sob, quietly. Why was she always like this? Always so weak? Always unable to save those she held precious? Why couldn't she protect them the way they always protected her? Why wasn't she strong enough?_

_Suddenly, she could hear crying that was not hers. She raised her head and glanced around, hoping for a glimpse of another. But there was still darkness. Yet, the cries of despair was still in the air. So she did the only thing she could do; she began to head towards the sound. The walk felt like years; but she still couldn't see anyone else. There was nobody here but her. She had almost given up when finally, she saw it; the silhouette of a small child, huddled on the invisible ground, an arm over its eyes as it cried._

_Quickly, she ran up to the child; it was a young girl with short dark-hair and a small red bow. She kneeled in front of her; when the child looked up at her, she saw that her eyes were a beautiful shade of turquoise-green._

"_Shh… It's okay," she said, as she pulled the little girl into her arms and rubbed her back. "Don't cry. I'm here."_

_The little girl had stopped crying now and was hiccupping delicately. When she pulled away to wipe the tears from the child's cheeks, the little girl had begun to smile._

_She smiled at her. "Why were you crying?"_

_The child shrugged. "I was hurt, but I'm okay now. Thank you very much!"_

_She stroked the dark strands. "I'm glad!"_

_The child gave her a knowing look. "Why were _you_ crying before?"_

_She looked startled at the question. "Oh, I was… I was lonely… and frightened… and upset."_

_The girl tilted her head to the side. "Why?"_

_She sighed. "Because I'm weak. I can't protect the people I love."_

_The child scrunched up her eyebrows. "You know, you're only as weak as you feel. And I'm pretty sure that the people you love know how much you care about them. I know I do." The girl smiled at her as she placed a hand on her cheek and gently wiped away the dried tear tracks. "Don't cry anymore. Everything will be alright now! I'm sure of it!"_

_She couldn't help but smile back, a pleasant warmth spreading through her body. She closed her eyes, as happy tears slid down her cheeks. "Yes, everything will be alright now."_

"Everything will be alright now."

Slowly, Sakura's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she couldn't fathom where she was; everything that happened was a blur, even the strange dream. Finally, she recognized the familiar tiled ceiling, the morning light peeking out of blue curtains over the glass window, and the feeling of the soft white sheets against her skin; she was in Konoha's Hospital. The memory of what transpired at her apartment, Sai and Sasuke fighting each other and the blood flowing down her legs, came crashing back.

Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly, breathing heavily in panic. But when, she felt a hand squeezing her own, her anxiety dissipated and she began to calm down. She turned her head to the side; Sai was seated on a chair next to her bed, fast asleep, his head next to her arm as one hand held hers. He still wore the same clothes, which were now torn at the shoulder; and his hair was untidy and stuck up in various places. He looked so tired and worn-out; Sakura didn't dare disturb his slumber. She decided that she liked watching him sleep, to see him in a state where he looked calm and peaceful. Slowly, she raised her other arm and gently brushed some of his dark hair to the side. He must have felt her touch since he stirred and groaned softly before his eyes fluttered open. He blinked several times before raising his head; his eyes held a look of surprise and relief at seeing her finally awake.

Sakura smiled, softly. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, still staring at her. "How… How are you feeling?"

"A little better." Then, she remembered that he was injured. "Wait, your side…"

He gave a small chuckle. "You're the one on the hospital bed, you should be worried about yourself."

She didn't laugh. "Sai…"

He sighed before answering, "It's all healed now."

Sakura breathed in relief. "I'm glad." Then, she remembered the blood and the baby. Eyes wide in fear, her hand immediately flew to her stomach, feeling for the small bump. "The baby…"

"He's alright," he assured her, placing a hand over hers. "Tsunade-sama examined you and said that he's alright. She said it was best to count this as your monthly check-up." He grinned.

Though overjoyed that her baby was alright, Sakura wasn't placated yet. "What happened to me?"

"She said that you stressed yourself out too much. And that your chakra usage had been too much for your body. You must remember that your chakra reserves are not just for you now, but for the baby as well."

Guiltily, Sakura bit her lip as she leaned back on her pillows and stared at the ceiling. "I know that. It's just that, I couldn't let anything happen to you." She sighed. "But in the process, I endangered our baby." She let out a frustrated shriek. "Why can't I do anything right?"

Seeing her state, Sai breathed in deeply before placing his fingers underneath her chin and turned her head to his. He looked deep into her eyes. "You are not to blame in what happened Sakura-chan. I should have displayed more self-control…"

"Sai…" she began to protest.

"… but I couldn't let the Uchiha hurt you," he continued. "I needed to protect you, both of you. I got angry and I…" Solemnly, he leaned his forehead against her arm. "Can you forgive me?"

Sakura looked at him in disbelief. He was taking the blame? He was already doing everything he could for her and their baby.

"Sai-kun…"

He raised his head.

"There's no use blaming ourselves. All that matters now is that our baby is alright." She smiled before remembering the last words from her dream. Placing a hand on his cheek, she said, "Everything will be alright now."

Their eyes met, green meeting black. Slowly, Sai began to lean in. Sakura's heart was battering against her chest so much that she began to think it might jump out. She could feel his breath on her skin now.

"Sakura…" he whispered, his forehead against hers.

He was close… so very close… Just a few more inches…

"Ohayo Sai! Is Sakura-chan awake yet?"

Sighing and closing his eyes, Sai broke away from Sakura and put on a fake smile. "She just woke up, dickless. Don't be so loud, please."

Meanwhile, Sakura bit her lip in disappointment. She loved Naruto and everything but right now, she wanted to kill him. The blonde appeared, followed by a worried-looking Hinata and Konohamaru. The violet-haired girl was carrying a vase of roses.

"H-Hi, Sakura-chan," she said, coming up to Sakura's bedside and placing the vase on the table. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura smiled. "Better. Arigatou, Hinata-chan."

Naruto beamed at her as he wrapped an around Hinata's waist. "We're glad, Sakura-chan. We were really worried about you, you know. Especially Sai!"

The pinkette turned to the dark-haired artist who had turned away, scarlet-faced. She flashed him a sad look before turning to Konohamaru who was simply staring at her, worriedly.

"Happy Late Birthday," she told him, happily. "Sorry I couldn't be there."

The young Chuunin shook his head. "It's alright, Sakura-nee. I'm just glad that you're alright."

"I would give you your present, but it's still at home."

He shrugged. "I can wait."

She grinned at him. "Thank you for visiting."

And then, the door opened again and Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru appeared. The blonde ran in and attacked the pink-haired girl with a bone-crushing hug.

"Forehead! What the hell happened to you? Naruto told us you were here!" Ino gave her a worried look. "How's my godchild?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "The baby's fine. And I'm alright too, thanks for asking," she replied, sarcastically but with a smile. "We're both good."

Ino breathed in relief as Chouji bounded up to Sakura's bedside with a basket of fruit.

"We hope you feel better soon, Sakura," he said, beaming. "I chose these myself, no thanks to Ino and Shika." He glared at his teammates.

Ino only glared back while Shikamaru sighed and said, "Troublesome."

But Sakura smiled gratefully then reached into the basket for an apple. She bit into it, chewing quickly before swallowing. She was about to ask for some water when, without her saying a word, Sai went over to a table where a pitcher and some glasses were placed for the patient and poured a glass of water for her.

Sakura flashed the artist a grateful smile before downing it. "Arigatou, Sai-kun."

Meanwhile, Naruto watched the exchange in melancholy. He finally realized that with Sai around to take care of her, his sister-of-sorts may no longer need him. Beside him, Hinata noticed his look and gave his hand a squeeze. She flashed him a comforting smile which he returned.

The door opened again and in came Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino.

"Sorry we're late, Hinata," Kiba said. "Akamaru had an emergency."

"He needed to go to the bathroom on the way here," Shino added, stoically.

Sakura could only sweat drop and chuckle. "It's alright. Thank you for coming."

"So, how are you?" Kiba asked, coming up to her bedside as Akamaru jumped up and placed his paws on the mattress. "Feeling okay?"

Sakura nodded, patting Akamaru on the head. "Hai. Arigatou." She turned to Naruto. "Exactly how many people have you told?"

The blonde grinned sheepishly. "Well, everybody was wondering why I was so worried-"

"He ran all over town, yelling, 'Sakura-chan's in the hospital!'" Sai said.

"Hmm… I should have known."

"Hey, you can't blame me. You could have been seriously hurt," Naruto defended.

"And I thank you for worrying. But what if the whole village comes and visit me? This room has the capacity to hold only ten people."

"Well, there's ten of us here now and-"

"Sakura-san! We have arrived to visit you and make sure that you're wonderful youth is still intact!"

Hearing Lee's voice, the whole room groaned. Team Gai minus Gai entered the room, each member holding a bouquet of cherry blossoms for Sakura. The green spandex-clad teen bounded up to Sakura's bedside, holding out the flowers.

"How are you this day, Sakura-san?"

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you, Lee-san."

"And your youthful soon-to-be-born child?"

"Um… We're both fine."

Tenten grabbed him by the arm and pulled him aside. "We hope you feel better, Sakura," she said, smiling softly. Beside her, Neji nodded. "And we're sorry about the too many flowers," she whispered. "But Lee made us get them. We told him one is enough, but you know him, he wouldn't listen."

Sakura chuckled. "It's okay. Thank you for coming."

Now the room has reached its capacity, actually, way past its capacity. Sakura was grateful that they call came to visit her but there were too many people in the room. She was feeling a little claustrophobic. Sai must have noticed since he immediately went to her side.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Yeah. There's just too many people. I feel a little suffocated."

He nodded. "Would you like me to ask them to leave?"

Before Sakura could answer, the door opened again. Tsunade and Shizune entered. Upon seeing the number of people in the small room, the Hokage narrowed her eyes. "What in the world?" She groaned in frustration. "Alright everybody. I know you're all here to visit Sakura, but the room is too small to fit everyone. Some of you have to go."

"That's alright, Hokage-sama," Tenten said. "We only wanted to stop by for a few minutes."

Lee's eyes widened. "But I wish to spend some more time with Sakura-san! I wish to aid in making sure that she and her unborn child remain youthful!"

The others sweat dropped as Neji grabbed him by his vest. "We'll be going now, Hokage-sama." He tilted his head to Sakura. "Get well soon, Sakura."

And with that, Team Gai left, Lee still shouting something about youth being the hope of the next generation, or something like that.

"Well, I kinda have to go too," Ino said. "I still have to watch the shop and everything."

"And I have to oversee some more preparations for the Chuunin exams," Shikamaru added.

Chouji looked at his teammates. "I'm not really doing anything."

But his team rolled their eyes and grabbed him.

"I'll stop by again later, forehead!"

"Feel better Sakura!"

"Tch. Get well soon."

Soon, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru also excused themselves to leave. Sakura was now in the company of her own team, Hinata, Konohamaru, Tsunade, and Shizune.

Tsunade smiled at her. "You feeling better?"

Sakura nodded. "Hai."

"Good.

"You must remember, Sakura, you mustn't stress too much," Shizune said. "And you must conserve your chakra. You and your baby share it now."

Next to her, the Hokage nodded in agreement. "I think it's best that you take your maternity leave from the hospital earlier than planned. I don't want to risk anything else. Understood?"

Sakura looked like she was about to protest but stopped. Sighing in defeat, she tilted her head. "Hai, shishou. And I'm sorry for worrying you."

Tsunade's look softened and she patted Sakura's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Good thing Sai here arrived with you on time. If not… Well, let's not dwell on the negative. The important thing is, your baby's alright. Also, we're keeping you here for one more night. I'll come back tomorrow to examine you again before I discharge you. "

"Hai. Thank you, shishou." Sakura bit her lip. "Um… Shishou, I hope you don't mind me asking, wut what happened to Sasuke?"

Her visitors flashed each other looks. Naruto and Hinata suddenly became interested on the curtains; Shizune was watching Tsunade who was avoiding Sakura's gaze; and Sai had turned his face away.

Finally, Tsunade cleared her throat. "He's currently on a month-long probation. His team is assigned a temporary leader until then."

"O-Oh." Sakura breathed in deeply and leaned back in her pillows. "I see."

"Don't worry Sakura-chan." Naruto went up to her side and took her hand. "I talked to him. He's really sorry for what he did."

But Sakura could only nod and say, "Okay." She turned her head to glance at Sai. But he was staring at the floor.

* * *

More visitors arrived that day. Temari, who was supposed to be on her way back to Suna that day, decided to stop by before her caravan left that afternoon. She brought Sakura some fruits and promised to bring her brothers back with her the next time she visited. Kakashi and Yamato also came to see her; Kakashi brought her strawberries while Yamato brought a bouquet of sakura blossoms to add to the ones Team Gai brought her. Even Kurenai and her three-year old little boy, Ryuu, visited and the Jounin gave Sakura some tips for the next few months of the pregnancy.

Konohamaru, after spending a whole day telling her stories about his missions, decided to leave with Kurenai when she and her son left. Soon after, Naruto and Hinata had to go as well, Naruto promising to arrive with a change of clothes for Sakura the next day.

By the end of the day, the pink-haired kunoichi was left alone with Sai. She was really amazed as well as touched by his attentiveness; the whole day, he never left her side except to change his clothes and to use the bathroom. He made sure she was eating first before eating himself. He even had his sketchpad and while Sakura entertained herself with the T.V., he kept himself occupied by sketching on a chair next to her bedside. When night arrived and the two just finished their dinner (hospital food for Sakura, instant ramen for Sai), Sakura realized that for the first time since the night they slept together, Sai was spending the night with her (not counting last night 'cause she wasn't aware of it).

"Um… Sai-kun? Don't you want to go home for the night?"

He looked up from his sketch. "I don't think so. I can't leave you all alone tonight, can I?"

Sakura sighed. "Sai-kun, I'm a grown woman. I'll be fine staying alone in the hospital."

"Oh." He suddenly looked unsure. "You wish for me to leave."

"No!" she said, quickly. She hid the blush forming on her cheeks by turning her face away. "I mean, I don't mind you staying. But, you don't have to. This isn't an obligation. You're free to do as you wish."

"Hmm… I see. Alright." He returned to sketching.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You're staying?"

"You just said I'm free to do as I wish," he replied, not looking up. "And I wish to stay."

At this response, Sakura couldn't help but smile, her heart fluttering. "Sai?"

"Hai?"

"Arigatou."

His hand stopped moving as he raised his head to smile at her. "You're welcome." He returned to his sketch.

Sakura watched him. His arm was covering the paper so she couldn't make out what he was drawing. No longer paying attention to the soap opera playing on the T.V., she watched his hands as they flew across the paper, creating lines and shapes. She wished she could distinguish what they were forming, but she was patient. She knew that if Sai wanted to show her the drawing, he would.

Noticing her eyes on him, Sai looked up. He saw the curious look on her face. "Do you wish to see?"

She nodded. He made one last shading before raising the pad to show her his work. It was of a meadow with tall grasses and a variety of flowers; in the side stood a lone tree; underneath it were three figures. She couldn't tell who they were or what they looked like, but based on the silhouettes, it was a man, a woman, and a small child.

"Wow, that's beautiful," she said, smiling. "I wish I can draw like that."

Sai tilted his head to the side. "Well, why don't you?"

Looking surprised, Sakura shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. "Oh no. No, no, no. I can't draw."

He chuckled in amusement. "The least you can do is try." He placed the sketch pad on her lap and the pencil in her hand. "Go on."

Sakura bit her lip. "What should I draw?"

"Anything you want."

Breathing in deeply, she placed the tip of the pencil onto the paper and began creating lines and shapes. As she tried to draw, Sai scrunched up his eyebrows.

"Um… Sakura-chan, what is that supposed to be?"

She blushed. "It's supposed to be a house."

"Oh. I thought you were drawing a person."

She scowled at him. "What person has a triangle for a head?"

He chuckled. "One you created."

Offended, she slapped his arm, playfully. He laughed. And to Sakura's surprise, he got up from his chair and settled himself on the bed next to her. As his skin touched hers, Sakura felt the tingle of electricity course through her and inwardly shuddered, but in a good way. Sai placed an arm around her waist and placed his hand over hers on the pencil.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just close your eyes."

Shrugging, she obeyed, loving the feel of his body pressed next to hers, his breath right at her cheek. She could smell the ink and peppermint in his clothes. Seriously, how did he maintain that peppermint scent?

"Now, imagine this house you see."

Obeying his orders, Sakura pictured the house she wanted to draw so much.

"You see it?"

She nodded.

"Now, describe it to me."

"Hmm… It's a two story-house; two windows in the front of each floor; bay windows. There's a balcony on one side of the house that leads to the master's bedroom; and the roof is made of brick with a small chimney."

With his hand over hers, Sai began to move the pencil all over the paper in swift, gentle strokes. "Uh-huh. And the front door? Where is it positioned?"

"The front door is in between the two windows in the bottom floor; there's a front porch too, with four pillars holding up the porch roof and three steps leading up to it."

"Mmhmm… Is there a front yard?"

Sakura smiled. "A small front yard with lots of rosebushes and flowers. There's a sakura blossom tree too, right where the balcony is."

"Is that all?"

There was more, but it wasn't part of the house per se. "That's all." She waited. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Hold on." Sai's hand continued to guide hers on the sketch pad and Sakura waited as patiently was she could. "It's finished. You can open your eyes now."

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. Seeing the sketch, she let out a soft gasp. There it was! The house she had been dreaming of, in perfect clarity and detail. Sai had added shading and some personal touches of his own such as the atmosphere of the sky and the sakura blossom petals flying in the wind. The sketch looked like a black and white snapshot of an actual house.

"Sai-kun… It's beautiful," she breathed. "It's… It's exactly as I imagine it!

Beside her, Sai smiled, breathing in her scent. "It's a lovely house."

Sakura beamed in delight at the sketch, unconsciously snuggling closer to Sai. "It's where I've always imagined I'd be living when I have my own family."

"So, this is your dream home?"

She nodded. "Hai." Feeling him stiffen beside her, she turned her head to look at him. He was staring at the sketch, blankly. "Sai-kun? Are you alright?"

He turned his head to answer her but stopped, suddenly realizing how close they were. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks; and likewise on Sakura's. His heart was beating faster than ever. Unknown to him, Sakura's was doing the same.

_She's so beautiful, _he thought to himself, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of pink hair behind her ear.

_I love you, Sai, _Sakura thought, feeling her cheeks burning. _Why can't I say it out loud? I love you, Sai! I want to be with you! I love you! I love you!_

"I love you," she whispered, her heart hammering hard against her chest.

At her confession, Sai looked taken aback.

_It's now or never_, she thought, praying to Kami that he wouldn't laugh at her.

"I love you," she repeated, more confidently this time. Abandoning the pencil, she placed both hands on his cheeks and leaned her forehead against his. "I love you, Sai. I really, really love you."

He remained speechless, staring at her. At his lack of response, Sakura felt as if a ton of bricks had been dropped on her head. She made a mistake. She shouldn't have told him. Now, he probably thought she was an idiot.

She broke away from him, feeling the tears brimming at her eyes. She slapped his arm in anger. "Damnit, Sai! Say something! Anything! Tell me you don't feel the same way. Tell me you think I'm ridiculous, that I'm stupid for actually thinking and hoping that you love me too! Kami! I'm such an idiot! Okay, I'm rambling now. Look, forget this ever happened, okay? Let's rewind and get back to-"

Sai grabbed her face and crashed his lips to hers. Sakura let out a surprised squeak. For a moment, she just stayed there, allowing him to kiss her. His lips were so soft and gentle against hers. How long ago was it when he last kissed her? Oh yes, at most four months; and she could hardly remember it! Damn, she forgot how good a kisser he was! But before Sakura could allow herself respond, Sai broke away, breathing heavily. His hands were still on her face as he smirked.

"You talk too much, tomato-face," he said.

Before Sakura could protest at the stupid nickname, he covered her lips with his again, this time, more heated and passionate as his tongue begged for entrance. Forgetting her anger, Sakura opened her mouth. One of his hands had wandered to her neck as she raised her own hands, one cupping his face as the other rested on his chest. When they finally broke apart for air, both were red-faced and out of breath.

"I love you," Sai confessed, leaning his forehead against hers. "I love you so much."

Smiling widely in happiness, Sakura stroked his cheek with her thumb. When she felt movement in her stomach, she took his hand and placed it over her belly.

"Our baby's happy," she said. "Because she knows that we can be together now. We can be a real family."

Sai's eyes widened. "Really? You want to be a family?"

Sakura chuckled and turned her head to her stomach. "Tell daddy my answer baby."

A kick in reply later, Sai was kissing his Cherry Blossom again. The two lay in Sakura's bed in silence, her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and his arm around her waist and a hand stroking her belly.

"Sakura-chan?" he said, after a while.

"Hmm?"

"Is it normal to feel as if you would burst with happiness?"

Sakura giggled. "Yes. I feel the same way right now. And I bet our baby is too. She's so happy that she kicked for you twice."

Sai looked down at her, a questioning look on his face. "How do you know it's a 'she'?"

Sakura gave him a mysterious look before kissing his cheek. "I just know."

* * *

The next day, Naruto arrived at the hospital and entered Sakura's room very early, bringing a bag of clothes for his pink-haired sister-of-sorts. He and Hinata stopped by the pinkette's apartment the night before and his girlfriend chose the clothes for him. He was about to greet his two teammate a "good morning" when he stopped in his tracks and stared wide-eyed at Sakura's bed. For in Sakura's bed lay not only Sakura, but also...

"SAI, YOU PERVERTED TEME! WHAT DID YOU DO TO SAKURA-CHAN? YOU ALREADY GOT HER PREGNANT AND YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH HER AGAIN? !"

The blonde woke up the whole floor as well as the floor above it. He received a chakra-infused punch from a tired and sleepy Sakura soon after.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 10- Together at last**

"I'm so happy that I'm gonna be out of here," the pink-haired girl said, brushing her hair in front of the bathroom mirror. "One more day in here and I'll go nuts!"

From outside, Sai chuckled as he finished packing her clothes and his. "Now you know how your patients feel."

"Haha." But Sakura smiled, gently. She could get use to this new comfort zone.

She never felt so happy in her entire life. Not only did she have a baby to look forward to, she was now with Sai, who loved her and the baby so much that he would put his life in the line for them. She knew that she made the right choice in choosing him. Now, they could be a family, a real family.

Seeing that her hair was no longer the nest of tangles that it was earlier, Sakura exited the bathroom to help her boyfriend (oh, how she reveled at the thought!) pack the rest of their belongings.

After Naruto's outburst that morning, Sakura's punch, and her and Sai's explanation of their newly established relationship, the blonde had scowled at the dark-haired artist before sighing in acceptance.

"I guess there's no use stopping it," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I kinda saw this coming anyway." Then, he looked at Sai and flashed him a small smile. "Take care of her, teme."

"I will, dickless," Sai had replied, a smile on his face.

"Why you-"

But before the blonde could hurt Sakura's boyfriend, Tsunade had entered the room and glomped him on the head, saying, "I heard you caused a ruckus in my hospital this morning."

Nursing his head, Naruto whined, "But Obaa-san… Sai and Sakura we're sleeping together!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "I believe we've established that when Sakura told me she was with child."

"No! I mean, they slept, side-by-side on the same bed last night!"

"Hmm… What's wrong with that?"

"Obaa-san! They're together!"

"Yes, I can see that."

"Grrr… I don't mean that! I mean, together _together_."

"Uh-huh…"

"They're dating!"

For a moment, Tsunade seemed to have frozen. Then, she grinned. "I'm not so surprised."

At this, Naruto simply "hmmphed" while Sakura turned scarlet. Meanwhile, Sai was unfazed and had instead, said pleasantly, "Feel free to examine Sakura-chan now, Hokage-sama."

And Tsunade did. The whole time though, the pink-haired kunoichi couldn't shake the fact that her master seemed to be sending Sai penetrating glares. However, the latter kept smiling, happily. After declaring that Sakura was now stable and free to leave, Tsunade walked up to Sai, a smirk on her face.

"Well, Sai. You and my little apprentice eh?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

She patted him on the shoulder… so hard that if Sai had been any other person, his knees would have buckled underneath him. But as mentioned, this was Sai; he was not easily brought to his knees.

"I trust that you'll keep her safe."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Smiling widely, she bent down and stared deep into his eyes. "If you hurt her in any way, shape or form, you shall be severely punished. I will make sure that you die a very slow and painful death."

Sakura sweat dropped as Naruto snickered. However, this was Sai so he was unfazed. He simply kept smiling and nodded.

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

And with that, Tsunade left, though a little disappointed that she didn't get to make the dark-haired artist flinch. Meanwhile, finally relieved that she could go home, Sakura sent Naruto down to the front desk to sign her out while she and Sai packed their things. Now, they were just waiting for him to return.

As Sakura re-checked her bag to make sure all her toiletries were inside, she felt arms wound around her waist and lips touching her neck. She shivered in delight when she felt a thumb drawing circles on her swollen belly.

Sai appeared pleased at the effect he was causing on her. She spun around to face him and pecked him on the lips before nudging her nose with his.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking deep into his dark eyes. "For everything."

He smiled before kissing forehead. "Anytime." He leaned in for a kiss when the door slammed open.

"I finished signing you out, Sakura-chan! Let's go!"

A vein popping dangerously in her forehead, Sakura breathed in and out deeply. She mustn't stress and she mustn't waste any more chakra in giving Naruto another black eye. Meanwhile, Sai just sighed sadly before touching her arm.

"I'll carry the bag," he said, picking it up.

With Naruto leading them, they left the room.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei said that he'll pick us up," Naruto told them, as the three headed towards the lobby. "He's treating us to ramen."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Kakashi-sensei? Paying for us? What has the world come to? Usually, if we asked him to treat us, he'd be running the opposite direction."

"He said something about celebrating your release or something like that." The blonde shrugged. "Whatever. It's free ramen." When they reached the lobby, he eagerly scanned the area and seeing that their Team leader wasn't there, groaned in disappointment. "Damn, I knew I shouldn't have bothered to think he'd actually be on time." He turned to look at his two teammates; his eyebrows furrowed as he frowned. "Aren't you two going to detach soon?"

They gave him a questioning look. Both had an arm at each other's waist and stood barely a foot from each other. Realizing that they weren't going to part at all, Naruto shrugged before heading towards one of the benches in the lobby, Sai and Sakura following behind him. As they waited for Kakashi to arrive, Naruto began talking to Sai about what kind of ramen he was thinking of having that day. Meanwhile, Sakura leaned her head against the wall, hand over her stomach, protectively.

She almost lost her baby because of her recklessness. If it hadn't been for Sai, she would be mourning right now. But no matter, what was important now was that their baby was safe and would still be arriving. That dream, though she could no longer remember what the little girl looked like, Sakura knew that she was her daughter, she could feel it. And now that she though about it, she already had a name…

"S-Sakura-san?"

At the voice, Sakura looked up and blinked once, twice, before breaking into a small smile.

"Kimiko-san!" Slowly, the pinkette lifted herself from the bench. "How are you? Wow, you're really big now."

Indeed, the brunette's stomach had swelled than the last she saw her. It appeared that she was bigger than Sakura. Kimiko chuckled, softly. "Yes. So are you. Are you here for your check-up too?"

"Oh no. I… um… I was hospitalized. I actually got discharged today and we're just waiting for our sensei to pick us up. He's treating us to ramen."

Kimiko's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my, what happened?"

Sakura shook her head. "Just an accident."

"Are you and the baby okay?"

"Yup! Healthy as a pair of horses."

At this, Kimiko breathed deeply, a hand on her chest. "I'm glad."

Sakura smiled. "Thank you. Oh, by the way, these are my teammates." She turned to the two boys who were watching the exchange in curiosity. "Guys, this is Kimiko-san, she's… a friend of mine."

The brunette grinned. "I'm also the woman a friend of yours knocked up."

Sakura stared at her in surprise but Kimiko was smiling at the two good-naturedly. Meanwhile, Naruto's eyes widened as he jumped up and held out his hand.

"Oh, hi! Uh… Nice to meet ya! Name's Naruto Uzumaki."

Kimiko nodded as she shook his hand. "Yes, I'm aware of who you are. Uchiha-san talks about you often before at the club where I work. He doesn't go there as much anymore." She turned to Sai who had also stood up and had wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist. At first, her face held a look surprise before it disappeared. "You must be the father of Sakura-san's child."

Sai nodded, pleasantly. "My name is Sai. It is very nice to meet you, Kimiko-san."

The brunette tilted her head to him. "Likewise, Sai-san." She turned to Sakura. "Well Sakura-san. I must be going now. Isuzu-sama is waiting for me."

"Sure, Kimiko-san." To the brunette's surprise, the kunoichi leaned in and gave her a hug. "It was nice seeing you again."

Though still surprised, Kimiko returned the hug. "You too, Sakura-san." When the two broke away, Kimiko smiled. "You're indeed very lucky." She gestured her head to Sai.

Sakura blushed before smiling softly. "I guess. Don't worry Kimiko-san, I know you will be too."

Kimiko shrugged. "I hope so."

With that, she waved good-bye and walked away. When they could no longer see her, Naruto whistled. "So, that was her, huh?"

"Yep," Sakura answered, turning around to face the two. "I met her a few months back when she was having her first check-up. I was the one who examined her 'cause her medic was unavailable."

"I see." Sai looked at the direction Kimiko disappeared to. "I feel… what's the word? Oh yes. I feel somewhat sorry for her."

"Hmm? Why?" Naruto asked.

"Because she doesn't seem to have anyone supporting her," Sai answered, matter-of-factly. "She's here for a check-up alone with nobody accompanying her. Which in my opinion, seems rather…"

"Sad?" Sakura offered.

"Yes, sad. And lonely." He squeezed her hand gently.

Sakura nodded, sadly in agreement. "It is sad. I wonder why she's alone. I mean, she should at least have friends who support her, right?"

Naruto shrugged and was about to say something but stopped. His eyes were wide as they focused behind Sakura.

"Naruto? What is it?" Sakura asked then noticed that Sai also looked tense. "What's wrong?"

She began to turn around as Naruto said, "Wait, Sakura-chan-"

But he need not go on anymore. Sakura felt herself stiffen as she stared. It was Sasuke. He was standing by the door, looking around, searching. Finally, he caught sight of her and instantly froze, as if he was re-considering going in. However, he rolled his shoulders back and walked over to them. Immediately, Sai pulled Sakura behind him.

"If you're here to cause us more trouble, I suggest that you leave," Sai said, coldly.

Sasuke looked like he was about to argue but stopped himself. He shook his head. "I'm not going to cause any trouble. I just want to talk to Sakura."

"The last time you 'talked' to Sakura, she ended up here," Sai spat, his eyes narrowed. "I'll be damned before I allow you near her again."

For once, Sasuke Uchiha flinched at the venom evident in Sai's voice. Sakura placed a hand on her boyfriend's arm, flashing him a look.

"Sakura, I need to talk to you. Please." Sasuke sounded so helpless, desperate.

"She won't-"

"Alright."

Sai turned his head in disbelief at the pinkette. "But, Sakura-chan-"

She shook her head. "You'll be near. If he does anything, you can instantly take action."

But Sai looked unsure. He held onto her hand tightly not wanting to let go. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll be fine," she whispered in his ear. "You're nearby so I know I'm safe. Okay?"

When she pulled away and flashed him a comforting smile, the artist had no choice but to sigh and agree, but not before pulling her to him again and kissing her cheek. In the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke turn red and look away. If looks could kill, the Uchiha would already be dead on the floor.

"Just relax," Sakura coaxed as he released her hand, reluctantly.

She and Sasuke made their way to a deserted corner where Sai and Naruto could still keep an eye on them.

"Sakura… Thank you for hearing me out," he said, smiling slightly.

But Sakura didn't return it. "I'm hearing you out because Naruto said he talked to you after you were sober."

At her coldness, his smile disappeared. "I… I'm really, no, deeply sorry for what I did that night. I… It was stupid of me! I had too much to drink… I couldn't think straight and I was angry because…"

Sakura raised her eyebrows as she crossed her arms at her chest. "Because?"

Sasuke breathed in deeply. "Because I heard you call him Sai-kun. And… I got jealous. You… You've never called anyone 'kun' but me. And… It was something that bothered me greatly."

Sakura looked at him in disgust as she felt the tears coming, but she held them in.

"You're right, that was stupid of you." She uncrossed her arms as she looked at him with such hate that she never thought she was capable of feeling.

"Sakura-"

But before he could continue, Sakura slapped him across the face. Tears were streaming down her face now.

"Did you know that I almost lost my baby because of you?"

He couldn't look her in the eye anymore. He actually looked guilty, as he should!

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Biting her lip, Sakura breathed in deeply to calm herself, wiping the tears with the back of her hand. "Listen, Sasuke. I love you. But I'm no longer _in_ love with you. So please, just let it go. Let me go. I'm happy with my life now. And Sai… Sai loves me and I love him. Sasuke, if you really love me, truly love me, you'd let me be happy."

Finally, he brought his eyes to meet hers. "I know. I should have accepted it a long time ago. But I couldn't because I really loved you, I still love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to rebuild my clan with you, I want to grow old and die with you..."

Sakura couldn't help it; tears poured down her cheeks again as she listened to his words. She was angry at him, yet she still couldn't help but also feel sorry for him. Because even though he hurt her, practically made life miserable for her, he was still her friend. She couldn't help but curse this bond between them.

"… But after that night, after I finally sobered up enough to realize what I've done, I… I couldn't shake the fact that I hurt you. I really, really hurt you. And… I've realized how much I've done it over the years, since we were twelve. I've done nothing but hurt you Sakura, yet you kept loving me, you stayed with me. I really wish I could have seen it sooner, then that night wouldn't have happened. I know I've lost your trust and I want to make it up to you, Sakura."

But the kunoichi solemnly shook her head. "It's too late. You can't do anything for me anymore. This time Sasuke, I just can't find it in my heart to forgive you."

At her harsh words, Sasuke flinched and he hung his head, staring at the floor. "I know it would take more than just a few apologies to make up for what I did, but now I know how." He tried to take her hand but she shied away from his touch. Hurt flashed in his face but Sakura stood her ground. Nevertheless, he kept going, looking pained. "I'm letting you go, Sakura. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have; you don't deserve it and I don't deserve you. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me."

Shocked, Sakura stood in front of him, unable to speak, her eyes wide at his words. He was setting her free? She was free!

Sasuke patted her on the shoulder before walking past her towards Sai and Naruto. Sakura turned around to see him hold his hand out to Sai.

"Take care of her," he said to Sai. "You deserve her more than I ever have."

Sai looked at the hand, warily before taking it. They shook hands awkwardly as Naruto beamed at them, happily. While Sai walked over to stand next to Sakura, the blonde turned to the raven-head.

"Glad that you came to your senses, Sasuke-teme," Naruto said.

Before Sasuke could answer, a voice floated from the entrance, "Sorry I'm late! There was an old lady who-"

"Forget about it, sensei!" Naruto called out, annoyed. He turned to the Uchiha. "Well, teme, we gotta go now." He clapped him on the shoulder. "Be good, 'kay?"

Sasuke scowled at him before smiling, slightly. "Thanks for everything, dobe."

Kakashi was staring at Sasuke, oddly but decided to wave in hello anyway. Sasuke simply raised a hand in reply as Naruto, Sakura, and Sai walked over to their team leader. But before they left, Sakura turned and called his name softly.

He turned.

Her back was still to him. "Kimiko-san's having her monthly check-up today. If you like, you can wait for her to finish and ask how she and the baby's doing." Without waiting for his response, she and the others left the hospital, Sai's arm around her waist for support.

* * *

"Bye, Sakura-chan! Sai!" Naruto waved at the two as he walked away.

Sai and Sakura waved back until he disappeared around the corner. Happily, Sai turned his head to Sakura who was beaming up at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" she asked, taking her bag from his hands.

He tilted his head. "Tomorrow." He wrapped his arms around her and breathed the sweet scent of her pink hair. He couldn't let her go. "I'll miss you."

Sakura giggled in his arms as she lifted her head to look at him. "You don't want to go, do you?"

Sai shook his head, still keeping her close to him.

Sakura grinned as she nudged her nose with his, affectionately. "Do you wan to spend the night?"

Sai just couldn't refrain from saying, "Yes. That is, if you don't mind."

Laughing, Sakura broke away from his embrace, took his hand, and dragged him inside the apartment. "I don't mind at all."

After eating a nice dinner of instant ramen and cuddling in front of the T.V. with kisses during the commercials, the two got ready for bed.

When Sai re-emerged from the bathroom wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and pajama bottoms, Sakura couldn't stop herself from staring. She saw his beautiful abs everyday because of his chosen uniform, but it was only now that she got to see what else his half-long sleeved, half-short sleeve shirt hid: his wonderful, well-toned arms. And when he announced that he didn't want to sleep in the guest room, Sakura's blush deepened.

"W-Where do you want to sleep?" she managed to stutter, still staring at his well-defined biceps.

He stepped closer to her, making her shiver at the proximity. "Next to you, of course."

Sakura may just as well accept his new nickname of "Tomato-face;" she knew, could _feel_ how red she was! It took all of her inner strength to stammer out an, "Okay."

So, several months after they first made love, Sai and Sakura were once again sleeping on the same bed. Sakura laid amongst the pillows as she watched Sai talk to her stomach, to their baby. She shivered in delight whenever his fingers traced shapes through the fabric of her pajama top.

"… and you'll love your Obaa-san, Tsunade. She's the Hokage, you know; she taught your mother how to punch and I must say, she taught her well. Both of them can be rather frightful when side-by-side."

Sakura sweat dropped but still, she couldn't help but smile at him. Slowly, she reached out and placed a hand on his cheek. He turned his head to her as he took this hand and kissed the top of it.

"What have I ever done to deserve you?" she whispered, stroking his cheek.

He smiled and crawled over next to her. She snuggled next to him as he pecked her lightly on the lips once, twice, thrice before leaning his forehead against hers. "I ask myself the same question."

Sakura giggled, snuggling closer to him. He kissed her forehead before placing his head on top of hers.

They stayed like that for a while, loving the warmth and comfort of each other's presence. As Sai absentmindedly stroked the underside of Sakura's arm, the pinkette couldn't help but look back on the events of the day and sighed, sadly.

Noticing, Sai looked down at her. "Is anything wrong?"

She shook her head, avoiding his eyes. "Nothing."

"You know, for a kunoichi, you're a terrible liar."

She smacked his arm, playfully before meeting his gaze. "I just thought about what Sasuke said today."

At the mention of the traitor's name, Sai's eyes grew dark. "Oh? What about it?"

She giggled softly, finding his jealousy adorable. Her fingers played with the bottom of his shirt. "I can't help but wonder if he meant what he said; you know, about letting me go. I don't know whether I should believe him or not."

At first, Sai didn't answer, simply took her hand and played with each of her fingers. She watched him with imploring eyes. Finally, he met her gaze. "Whether he meant it or not, one thing's for sure, I'm not letting him hurt you ever again."

Sakura smiled. "I know you won't."

He smiled back before tenderly kissing each of her fingers.

"Our child does not have a name yet," he said suddenly, placing a hand over her belly. "You said that you believe it shall be a girl. What names do you have in mind?"

She noticed the sudden change in subject but didn't mind at all. Talking about Sasuke was making her depressed, and that was the last thing she wanted to feel when she was with Sai. "Hmm… Actually, I thought of only one name."

"Oh? What is it?"

Smirking, Sakura shook her head. "Not telling. You're gonna have to wait until she arrives."

Sai lifted his head from hers and pouted.

_Awww! Come on! Just tell him already!_

_Eh? No way! It's a surprise!_

_Come on! Look at that adorable face! You know you can't resist him when he looks like that!_

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't want to look at you."

Surprised, Sai tilted his head to the side. "Am I ugly?"

With her eyes closed still, Sakura shook her head. "The opposite. You're the most beautiful human being I've ever laid eyes on and I don't want to look at you 'cause you're so adorable when you're begging me for something. "

"So, what you're saying is that I'm irresistible?" he asked, a hint of a smirk in his voice.

Sakura blushed. "Something like that. You're going to make me tell you the name and I don't want to say it yet."

"Oh, really?"

Without another word, Sai swooped in an captured her lips in a surprise kiss that she squeaked. Before she could begin to enjoy it, he broke away. Pouting, she opened her eyes, only to be met with an equally pouting Sai.

"No, Sai," she said, as firmly as she could.

"Please?"

She bit her lip but shook her head, defiantly. "Nuh-uh."

"You're sure?"

"I'm not telling."

Disappointed, he sighed in defeat. Watching his face deflate into frustration, she felt a little sorry for denying him the name. So she took his face in her hands and kissed him. At first, he willed himself not to respond, but unfortunately, he couldn't resist her. He never could. As Sakura's hands moved down to his chest, Sai moved so that he could be on top of her.

"Careful…" Sakura whispered, breaking away from the kiss. "The baby."

"Of course." Carefully, he moved the lower-half of his body to the side to the avoid her stomach. But instead of kissing her as she hoped, he simply leaned his forehead against hers as he nudged her nose with his. "I love you."

She smiled, raising a hand to cup his face. "I love you too."

They shared one more kiss before promptly falling asleep in each other's arms, dreaming of the family that they were certain would come true.

A/N: I have some good plans as to how this story will go on and end. However, I would like to hear from you, the readers. Any ideas? Scenes you wish to see (besides Sasuke getting beat up Sai; I'm not sure I want to do that)? Let me know and I'll incorporate the best ones and give you credit for it!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 11- Separation anxiety**

**A/N: Wow you guys! Over 100 reviews? This has never happened to me before! Thank you! Anywho, about me asking for ideas in the last chapter, I was really surprised… and impressed… 'cause most of you gave me suggestions that were part of my original plot. Great minds think alike! I won't say which ideas I decided to use or who among you guessed some of my plot, but I will be mentioning you in each chapter from now on 'til the end. Oh, and kudos to everyone and your great ideas! **

**A/N: I don't know much about Kumogakure other than it is the Village Hidden in the Clouds and Killer Bee is its jinchuriki. I'm not sure about the village's layout as well as its currency (I'm not sure if they use Ryo like Konoha, but because it is in a different country, I'm guessing it's a different currency) so I'm making it up as I go along. Please bear with me.**

Morning light filtered through the curtained windows and splayed across the wooden floorboards. Slowly and delicately, Sakura's eyes fluttered open. Instinctively, one of her hands flew to her stomach, caressing softly. Closing her eyes again, she turned to her side, her other hand groping the space next to her. Realizing that the spot was empty, her eyes flew open and all they met were the baby blue covers and matching pillow. Groaning softly, she rose out of bed and stretched before padding to the door. The smell of rice and eggs met her nostrils. At the delicious aroma, she sighed and headed to the kitchen. Sai was just placing some scrambled eggs and rice onto a plate when she entered.

"Mmm… smells great," she said, coming up next to him. "Ohayou, Sai-kun."

"Ohayou," he replied, kissing her forehead. "Right on time for breakfast, Sakura-chan."

Although he messed up in cooking odango for her a month ago, Sakura discovered that Sai at least knew how to cook breakfast decently enough for her to eat. Of the one month that they had been living together, he took responsibility in cooking her breakfast every morning.

Since that first time he spent the night at her apartment, Sai had taken to sleeping at her place and rarely went home except to shower and change clothes. Within three weeks, her apartment had basically turned into his new home so Sakura suggested that he move in with her; besides, her apartment was bigger than his and he spent more time at Sakura's than at his own place. A week later, he sold his apartment as well as the furniture, took his personal belongings, art supplies, and paintings, and moved in. Sakura's once bare walls were now filled with Sai's works and the empty guest room became his studio, at least for the time being; both planned to turn it into the baby's room as soon as Sakura reached her seventh month, and they had two months to plan it.

"Are you ready for your check-up today?" Sai asked, drying the dishes.

"Ready than I have ever been," she replied, beaming as she handed him another plate. Then, her smile dwindled a little. "What time are you leaving for your mission?"

Sai had been given a mission with Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato. They were to deliver some important documents to the Raikage of Kumogakure and would be gone for approximately five days unless something came up while they were there.

"Before sundown tonight," he answered, sounding depressed.

He hated being away from her. A few weeks ago, he suggested filing for leave until she gave birth. But his beloved refused. Sai was a shinobi and he shouldn't sacrifice that just to take care of her. Sakura needed him, but she knew he had a duty to the village. Sai, as usual, gave in but requested that Tsunade give him missions that did not require him to leave for long periods of time until the baby comes. This, Sakura agreed to.

Noticing the sudden depressing atmosphere, Sai took her hand and smiled genuinely the best he could. "But I'll be back soon."

Though seeing that his smile was fake, Sakura returned it anyhow. "I know."

And with that, the two proceeded with their morning routines.

* * *

"… there you go, Sakura," Tsunade said, helping her down from the bed. "You're all set. Next check-up is on the twentieth of March. That good for you?"

The pinkette nodded. "Hai, shishou. Arigatou."

"Arigatou, Tsunade-sama," Sai said, coming up next to Sakura. "We'll be going now."

They motioned to leave when Tsunade stopped them. "Wait, Sai. I have to talk to you for a minute."

Sakura turned her head to him, curiously. His face itself held a look of confusion.

"It won't take long, Sakura. I promise," Tsunade assured her.

So Sakura shrugged and squeezed his arm. "I'll be outside then."

As soon as he and Tsunade were left alone, Sai turned to the female Hokage. "What is it you wish to speak with me Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade turned her head to the door, watching Sakura through the glass pane for a moment. Then, leaning against a table, she looked at Sai. "You and Sakura have been living together for how long now?"

"About a month," Sai replied, curious.

"I see. And how does life treat you both?"

"Um… Rather well I suppose. We're both used to living with each other now."

Tsunade nodded. "Good, I'm glad about that. Now, how about when the baby comes?"

"Well, we're planning to turn the spare room I use as my studio for the baby's room when the time nears."

"And where are you moving your studio?"

Sai gave a start of surprise. "I… never really gave it any thought. Sakura and I are currently focused on the baby's needs."

Tsunade crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I see. And how is your home budget? Now that you live together, it's double the expenses, right? "

"Well, yes. But the salary from my missions as well as Sakura's from the hospital seem efficient enough for the two of us for the time being." Sai tilted his head to the side. "Hokage-sama, I hope you don't mind my asking, but why are you asking me these questions?"

Chuckling lightly, Tsunade opened her eyes. "My apprentice is like a daughter to me. I want to make sure that her and my future grandchild's future are secure." She pushed herself away from the table and approached him. She reached into her pocket. "I want to give you this." She handed him a small pouch.

Curiously, Sai took it and to his surprise, inside were a bunch of ryos; at least a thousand if he wasn't mistaken. He looked up in alarm at the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, what is this for?"

Tsunade frowned. "For you, Sakura, and your kid, what else?"

But Sai shook his head and held out the pouch to her. "I can't accept this."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"Although I appreciate your attempt to help us, Hokage-sama, I cannot take this money. I didn't work for it and I wish to raise Sakura and our child from my own blood and sweat."

At first, Tsunade just looked at him. Then, she started laughing, quietly in amusement. The dark-haired artist didn't understand what was funny so he remained standing silently, his hand still holding out the pouch, puzzled at the Hokage's reaction to his refusal.

"You really are something else Sai," she said in between giggles. Once she calmed herself down, she smiled at him. "Alright then, consider this an advance in your earnings for your mission tonight."

"But, Hokage-sama, this amount is three times what I normally earn from a B-rank mission."

"Alight then," she sounded annoyed now. "Consider it an advance for this mission and the next mission, and the next if you think two missions don't cover it. Fair enough?"

Sai still looked unsure. "But, why are you giving this to me?"

At his question, Tsunade gave him a sly smirk. "Let's just say I've been hearing some rumors about you trying to purchase that house for sale adjacent to the park."

Sai gave a start of surprise. How did she know that? He was very careful not to let anybody know his surprise for Sakura; besides, he was still saving up for it and based on his progress, he might not be able to get the house before the baby was born.

At the look on his face, Tsunade chuckled. "Don't worry about how I found out. Right now, I want you to take the money and buy the house. I'm pretty sure you have enough for it now." She narrowed her eyes at him when he made no motion to keep the money. "Take it, Sai. That's an order."

Realizing that she wasn't going to take the money back, Sai nodded and tucked the pouch inside his back pack. Then, he bowed low to her. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Hokage-sama. This… This means a lot to me and Sakura."

Sai couldn't help the smile that was tugging at his lips. Tsunade tilted her head in reply, smiling herself. "I trust you with her, Sai. Make her happy in a way that the rest of us couldn't."

Sai nodded and bowed again before taking his leave.

Tsunade watched as Sakura turned to see him come out of the room. She asked him something, looking worried. But the worry eased when Sai shook his head and flashed her a wide smile. With one last wave at Tsunade, the two left. The Hokage watched as they disappeared from her view then sighed before lifting her head to stare at the ceiling.

"My little girl has grown up," she whispered, affectionately.

* * *

Late afternoon, before the sun went down, Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato, waited impatiently for their last team member to say good-bye to his worried-looking girlfriend.

"… and here, just in case any of you gets hurt." Sakura tucked a medical kit into Sai's backpack before turning to the other three shinobis waiting for him. "I'm not going to be there to tend to you guys if you get injured so make sure you use this kit. Everything is in here: bandages, burn salve, cough medicine, band-aids, and pills for headaches too."

Naruto groaned and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Sakura-chan. Can you let Sai go so we can leave already?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him before turning to Sai. He smiled at her. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Stay safe, okay?"

Sai returned the hug and kissed her forehead. "Of course, Sakura-chan." He went down on one knee on the ground to be eye-level with her stomach. "Daddy will be back as soon as he can, my child." He kissed his two fingers and placing it over her stomach before rising.

Smiling, she stood on tiptoes to peck him on the lips then nudge his nose with hers.

"Aw, come on! Seriously?"

"Shut up Naruto!" Sakura growled in his direction. "You and Hinata were doing the same thing a while ago."

At her words, Naruto blushed red before saying, "Hmph," He stayed silent for the next few minutes.

Sai chuckled before leaning his forehead against Sakura's, a hand stroking her belly. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Sakura whispered back.

After one last kiss, Sai broke away from her arms and walked towards the rest of the team.

"We'll be back before you know it, Sakura," Yamato said, brightly.

"And don't worry, we'll take care of Sai for you," Kakashi added.

"Haha, Kakashi-sensei," she retorted but smiled anyhow. She waved as they began to walk away from the gates. "Good luck!"

The team stopped walking and began to run at top speed before leaping off the ground and out of sight. Sakura sighed before turning on her heels and walking home, an arm over her belly.

The next day found Sakura at the

* * *

Yamanaka Flower Shop. Sitting on a stool behind the counter while Ino took care of her customers, the pink-haired kunoichi had a hand tucked under her chin, looking bored. She had nothing to do that day since she was on maternity leave from the hospital and Sai was gone for a couple of days. So she decided to spend the day with Ino at the flower shop. The latter seemed eager to let her spend the day with her; she had been equally bored with no one to talk to while she worked.

"Thank you! Come again soon!" Ino said brightly to her customer. When he left, she sighed before heading to the counter and plopping herself on a stool next to Sakura. "Damn, can you believe he took a half hour to choose a flower to apologize to his girlfriend and in the end, bought one rose? One freakin' rose! He could have at least bought her a bouquet!"

Sakura giggled. "That's just something _you_ would want from your boyfriend if he wants to apologize. Who knows? Maybe his girlfriend prefers just one rose."

"Or he's too cheap to get her a bouquet." Ino pursed her lips then grinned. "Now when I get a boyfriend, I'm making sure he's rich."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Money alone won't make you happy in love you know."

Ino waved a hand, nonchalantly. "Well, that's you forehead. I, on the other hand, want a guy who will shower me with riches."

Sakura giggled. "You know, Sai showers me with love."

"Again forehead, that's you. I want both love _and_ riches. Besides, you and Sai are practically a married couple anyway. He should just go ahead and propose to make everything official."

At her words, Sakura frowned a bit. Noticing her look, Ino tilted her head to the side.

"Let me guess. He hasn't made the slightest indication of proposing?"

Solemnly, Sakura shook her head. "I just wonder what's taking him so long. I mean, a few months ago, he practically insisted that I marry him. Now that we actually have feelings for each other, he won't propose?" She sighed and blew a stray piece of pink hair from her face. "I don't get men at all."

"Ditto." Ino patted her on the shoulder and flashed her a smile. "Give him time. He'll come around."

Nodding, Sakura returned it. "Yeah. I guess when he's ready, he'll ask."

"That's the spirit!"

The bell rang and Ino looked up to greet her customer. Meanwhile, Sakura stared at her hands, imagining the beautiful ring Sai had attempted to propose to her with months ago. Yes, he would come around. She just hoped that it would be soon.

* * *

It was raining when the four Leaf Shinobis landed gracefully outside the gates of Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. After two days of travel, they finally arrived. The guards narrowed their eyes at them suspiciously until Kakashi walked up to them and showed them the letter from their Raikage to Konoha's Hokage, confirming that they had the right to be there. After inspecting and making sure that the letter was legit, they were allowed in and escorted to the Raikage's tower.

As they were escorted throughout the building, Naruto suddenly stopped in his tracks and waved at a figure. "Hey, Killer Bee! It's me! Naruto Uzumaki! Remember me?"

A tall, muscular, dark-skinned man with blonde hair and wearing sunglasses turned his head in their direction. He seemed to squint in confusion for a moment before a look of realization broke into his features. "Yo, it's the fox-kid!"

Happily, Naruto bounded up to him and they bumped fists. "Nice to see ya again!"

"What are you doing here, kid?"

"Mission. This is my team by the way." He gestured to Kakashi, Sai, and Yamato. "Guys this is Killer Bee. He helped me control Kyuubi a couple of years ago."

Killer Bee waved at them. "Yo. If you guys want, I'll take you to my brother myself." He turned to the guard and said, "I got them."

The guard bowed, respectfully before walking away. As Killer Bee led them to his brother's office, Naruto animatedly talked to him and told everything that had happened to him since they last saw each other. Meanwhile, the rest of Team Kakashi just raised their eyebrows at each other and Sai couldn't help but chuckle at Naruto's constant attempt to rap in order to impress the eight-tailed jinchuriki. Not that the eight-tailed was any better himself. He was about to say something when they stopped outside a door. Killer Bee knocked on it before opening it.

"Yo, nii-sama, you have visitors." He turned to the four shinobis. "You can go in now. I can't stay though, got some stuff to do. The way out is pretty much the way you came in."

"Thank you Killer Bee-san," Kakashi said.

"No problemo." He raised his fist.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow until Naruto nudged him on the side. "Bump fists," he whispered. For once, Kakashi obeyed his student and bumped his fist with the older jinchuriki.

When the four entered his office, the Raikage looked up from his desk. "Hmm… What do we have here?"

The four stepped in and bowed respectfully before Kakashi moved forward and placed the important scroll on the desk. "These are the documents that you requested from Tsunade-sama." Then, he placed another scroll next to it. "And here is a letter from her as well. She insist that we stay and wait for your reply." He stepped back in line between Naruto and Yamato.

The Raikage slowly picked up the documents and opened them one by one; his eyes scanned over them, a small smile appearing on his face after each. Finally, he picked up the Hokage's letter and read it. Afterwards, he placed it aside before looking up at the four.

"I have some matters to discuss with the council about these documents. You are welcomed to stay and wait for my reply to your Hokage's letter."

"How long are we talking about, Raikage-sama?" Kakashi inquired.

"Not more than three days, I assure you."

"Alright. We shall take our leave for now then to look for accommodations."

"Of course. I shall summon you when my response is ready."

The four bowed to him before leaving the office.

* * *

"Well team, I guess we're staying here for three days," Kakashi announced when they were out of the tower. "Yamato, you and I will send word to Tsunade-sama about our stay. Naruto and Sai, look for a place to stay; somewhere cheap yet clean, got that?" He reached into his backpack, took out a money bag, and handed it to Sai. "There's five hundred ryos in there. Make sure we'll have enough for three days."

The dark-head nodded and tied the money pouch into his belt.

"We'll meet here in one hour. "

"Hai, senpai."

"Gotcha, sensei."

And with that, they parted ways.

The rain had stopped now and the sun was slowly peeking out of the dark clouds. Naruto and Sai made their way around town, searching for an inn or a motel, exploring in the process. Neither have gone to Kumogakure before and both were rather curious of the new surroundings. Although it was built on top of the mountains and held a magnificent view of neighboring plains and valleys, the village was fairly similar to Konoha's busy streets. As foreigners to this land, they were regarded rather suspiciously by the villagers, but they paid no mind as they took in their surroundings. They passed a ramen restaurant; though Naruto wanted to stop and eat, Sai talked him out of eat by reminding him of Kakashi's orders. Pouting, the blonde walked away from the restaurant.

"I'm hungry," he whined, miserably. "Let's find a place already! I wanna eat!"

Sai rolled his eyes. "Can't you think of something else other than your stomach for a change?"

Naruto crossed his arms and held his head high. "Hmph!" He began grumbling some rather incoherent but seemingly rude things under his breath, which his teammate ignored.

A couple more minutes of walking without seeming to go anywhere, a small, three-story building caught Sai's eyes: _Fukazawa Inn_. Without a word, he grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him to it. The blonde squirmed in his hold.

"Oi! Teme! Let go!"

And Sai did, because they already reached the front of the Inn. "This looks decent," he commented.

"Whatever. As long as I can eat after."

The two entered the inn. At the front desk was a girl, who appeared to be their age. She wore a tight, blue tunic with a metal nameplate pinned to her chest; her long, blonde hair was on a braid and she was chewing on a piece of gum, her legs crossed as she read a magazine. She looked up when they approached and they saw that her eyes were green. Suddenly, Sai felt a pang in his chest; seeing those eyes reminded him of Sakura and how much he missed her.

"How may I help you?" the girl asked, sounding bored.

Pulling himself together, Sai put on a bright smile. "We wish to inquire on how much your rooms cost," he replied.

At his smile, the girl gave a start. She squinted her eyes at him before suddenly smirking, a little seductively, Sai noticed.

"Depends on which room," she said, uncrossing her legs and leaning closer to the desk. "Single is one hundred soke, double is one fifty, and suite is three hundred. Also includes a buffet breakfast." She said all these like the announcer of a T.V. commercial as she batted her eyelashes at him. "So which is it?"

Naruto scratched his head. "We don't have any, uh, what's your money here again?"

The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Soke. Well, you can just pay with whatever money you have as long as its amount is equivalent to the soke you're paying." She turned her attention back to Sai, a suggestive smile on her face. "I can give you a discount since you're visitors from another country."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you even allowed to give discounts?"

She frowned at him. "I'm the owner's daughter. I can give discounts to anyone I want." She turned back to Sai, smiling widely. "Do you want it?"

But Sai was unfazed. Instead, he checked Kakashi's money pouch. "No need, thank you. Do you know how much soke is equivalent to a ryo?"

Disappointed, she took out a chart from underneath the counter and pushed it towards him with one finger, still watching him like a hawk for an indication of interest. Sai scanned the chart; one soke was equivalent to half a ryo. He did the calculations in his head and determined that they had enough.

"We'll take two doubles," he said, pushing the chart back.

"And how long will you be staying?" she asked, writing on a form delicately, like the paper would rip if she as much put some force into it.

"Three days the most." Sai placed the money on the counter and she took them, not bothering to count.

"Sign your name here, please." Sai signed and she took the form and looked at it. "Mr. Sai, follow me please." She went around the counter and began walking towards the stairs, her hips swaying as she moved.

Naruto stared after her, his eyebrows raised. "Okay, is it just me or was she hitting on you?"

Sighing, Sai shook his head. Avoiding the question, he said, "We're meeting Kakashi-senpai and Yamato-taichou in fifteen minutes. We should hurry."

And with that, he followed after the girl, unaffected. Naruto scratched his head before shrugging and jogging after him.

On the second floor, the girl stopped and turned around to face them. "Room 121 and 122 are your rooms." She held the keys out to Sai who took them, a small smile on his face. "If you need me," she seemed to be talking only to the artist and not Naruto. "My name is Fuyuko. Call me when you need _anything_."

With one last wink at Sai, she walked away. When she disappeared, the two shinobis looked at each other.

"She was so flirting with you, man!" Naruto exclaimed as Sai opened one of the rooms.

"I'm aware," Sai replied. "But you know that I'm taken."

Naruto flashed him a look. "I must say I'm impressed. You didn't even bat an eyelash when she was practically seducing you!"

Sai simply answered with a wide smile on his face.

* * *

Back in Konoha, Sakura looked at herself in Ino's bedroom mirror while the blonde threw around outfit after outfit. She had a date and enlisted Sakura's aid in helping her dress. Whiles she talked about what was wrong with each piece of clothing she got her hands on, Sakura sat on the bed and stared at her reflection as she ran a hand over her swelling belly.

"… do you think this top makes me look fat?" Without waiting for an answer, Ino slipped it off and threw it across the room. "I knew it! Urgh! How about… this one?" This time, she waited and hearing no response, threw a silk belt at the pinkette's head.

Feeling the soft impact of the belt, Sakura turned her head, scowling the blonde. "What'd do you that for?" she growled.

Ino furrowed her eyebrows. "What has _you_ all distracted? You've been staring at the mirror for a half-hour. And you call me conceited."

Though she knew it was childish, Sakura stuck her tongue out at her anyhow before turning back to the mirror.

"I'm fat," she stated, solemnly.

Without thinking, Ino replied, "Of course you are, you're pregnant." Seeing a devastated look appear in the pink-haired kunoichi's face, the blonde realized too late what she said. "I didn't mean it in a bad way," she added, quickly. "All pregnant women… get big."

Not consoled at all, Sakura released a loud, frustrated sigh. "What if Sai leaves me for some nice, thin girl who's not in any way pregnant? What if he finds someone else in Kumogakure and forgets about me? And what about those fan girls of his who do nothing but follow him around whenever he's out?"

Shocked, Ino furrowed her eyebrows before plopping down on the bed next to her. "I thought you were past the hormonal stage, but I guess not." Sighing, she patted Sakura's hand. "Sai loves you. He won't leave you for some nice thin girl. You know why? Because he really, really, really loves you and your child so much he's willing to risk is whole life to protect you. Besides, those fan girls are nothing compared to you. They don't know Sai like you do and he pays attention to no other woman but you. After everything the two of you have gone through, how could you think that he'd leave you?"

The words sunk in slowly but surely. Sakura knew the pig was right; and why exactly was she worrying about Sai's faithfulness? The artist loved her to no end. She felt it in his words, his actions, the way he would place his arm around her waist as they walk around the village, when he held her at night as he kissed her. And they were having a child, a family. They were going to be a very happy family.

Smiling at the thought, she flashed Ino a grateful smile. "Thanks pig."

The blonde returned it. "No problem, forehead. Now, on to my outfit!"

* * *

"Good night…" Fuyuko drawled as Sai walked past the desk to get to the stairs, followed by Naruto, Yamanto, and Kakashi.

Not wanting to be rude, he fake-smiled at her and tilted his head. "Good night. Fuyuko-san."

As he mounted the stairs, he heard her sigh loudly. Behind him, Naruto whistled. "She so likes you, man!"

Sai didn't answer.

"Hmm, what's this?" Kakashi mused, chuckling. "It appears that the lobby girl has a crush on Sai."

Naruto growled at him. "I just said that!"

Sai sighed. "She won't leave me alone. If I didn't know any better, I think she may have been following us all afternoon."

But Yamato and Kakashi only grinned. They have been followed alright, rather, Sai was being followed; by almost every teenage girl who came across him flashing his smile. But just like back in Konoha, the artist was oblivious to the existence of his little fan girls.

After bidding each other good-night, the team separated; Sai and Naruto in one room and Kakashi and Yamato in the other.

Naruto took over the bathroom for over half an hour until Sai grew impatient and pounded on the door, threatening to send in an ink tiger if he didn't finish up soon. A few minutes later, the blonde got out, grumbling underneath his breath. He settled himself on his bed and took out a shojo manga he brought along to read while his teammate entered the bathroom.

After taking a long hot shower, Sai was just drying his hair with a towel when Naruto looked up from his manga.

"Hey Sai. Mind if I ask you something?"

Sai shrugged, continuing to dry his hair. "Go on."

Naruto placed the manga aside and crossed his legs underneath him. "When are you proposing to Sakura-chan?"

Sai's hands stopped as he felt his whole body freeze.

Naruto continued with his questions. "I mean, you have the ring and everything. And you two are living together and all. Why don't you just ask her to marry now?"

Sighing, Sai stopped drying his hair and threw the towel over a chair. Without a word, he dug into his backpack and took out a black velvet box. Opening it, he settled himself at the edge of his bed and stared at the silver, diamond-encrusted engagement ring.

"I love Sakura," he stated, running his thumb over the sparkling rock. "And I want to marry her. But…" He sighed, solemnly. "A marriage requires the woman to take the surname of her husband."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "So?"

Sai frowned at him. "You are aware that I have no surname. I don't know who my family are or where I came from. I have no identity other than being Sai, a member of Team Kakashi, a former member of Root, and a current Anbu shinobi. All I know of myself is my present, but I have no past." He closed the box and brought it to his lips. "I have nothing to give Sakura."

For a while, Naruto was quiet. Neither dared disturb the silence. Sai had been thinking about this fact for some time now. Though he wanted to, he was… afraid to propose to Sakura. What if she rejected him? He knew she loved him, but what if she rejected him because he had no surname to give her? He could not offer her what another man could.

"I don't think that matters," Naruto suddenly said.

Curious, Sai looked up at him.

"You love Sakura, right?"

"I believe I've established that."

"And she loves you, right?"

"Yes, I believe she does."

"Then that shouldn't matter!" Naruto now had a determined look on his face. "Sakura won't not marry you because you don't have a last name. She won't marry you if you're an insolent jerk who doesn't care about her! But she does! She does love you and trust me, she'll marry you if you asked. Come on, Sai! You have guts! Don't tell me you're chickening out now!"

All Sai could do was look at him then back at the box. He smiled. "I never knew you could be so persistent, dickless."

The blonde scowled at him. "I'm trying to help you here!"

"And I thank you. I really do, Naruto." Sai smiled.

The corner of the blonde's lips twitched but he refused to return the smile. So instead, he grabbed his manga and turned his back to Sai. "Just ask her," he stated.

Sai didn't reply. He still appeared unsure.

* * *

Later that night, while Naruto snored away on the bed next to his, Sai couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned but he was struck with sudden insomnia.

_I wonder how Sakura's doing? _he thought to himself. _I miss her. I hope she isn't too lonely since I left. I'll make it up to her when I get back. Maybe I should get her a gift._

Deciding that sleep was avoiding him that night, Sai got up and headed towards the sliding paper doors that led to the balcony. He stepped into the night and breathed in the cool air. Leaning his arms against, the rail, he allowed the gentle breeze to tug his dark hair as he stared at the distance.

A few minutes later, he heard shuffling in the balcony next to his room and turned his head to see Kakashi emerge from their own room. His visible eye crinkled at the sight of Sai.

"I thought I heard something," the silver-haired jounin stated, coming up to his own room's balcony rail. "Why are you still awake? After the long day we had, I thought you would be tired."

Sai shrugged in response. "I can't sleep."

Kakashi tilted his head. "Missing home?"

"Hai."

They stayed in silence for a few minutes until Sai spoke up, "Kakashi-senpai?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm a little… confused."

"About?"

Sai paused and thought about what Naruto said to him a few hours ago. "I want to propose to Sakura."

Kakashi tilted his head to the side. "What's so confusing about that?"

"Ano… at the same time, I don't want to."

Kakashi stared at him. "I see. Why not? You're together aren't you? And haven't you done it before?"

"Well, yes. But, at that time, I didn't know I loved her. I only wanted to marry her for the child. But now, now that I love the child and her, I… I'm starting to believe that marriage is indeed a huge step and I'm afraid that she'll reject me because I have no last name to offer her."

For a while, Kakashi didn't answer. Then, he turned his head towards the horizon. "I don't think she'll reject you because you don't have a last name. She loves you and I know she'll marry you."

Sai tilted his head. "Naruto told me the same thing."

"And he's right. Sai, Naruto and I have known Sakura since she was twelve. When she loves something or someone, she hold on to it tight and never lets go. She gives it her all. I doubt that she'll reject you over something petty as a last name. Do you understand?"

Taking his words in, Sai nodded. "I suppose."

Reaching across the space between their balcony, Kakashi patted him on the shoulder. "Sleep on it, Sai. It'll help. If not, here." He handed the young Anbu an orange book he had in the pouch on his waist. "I thought there was a specific reason why I brought that volume along instead of the other one."

Sai took the book and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head before handing it back to the silver-haired jounin. "Sakura told me not to read these specific books. She said they were… what did she say?… oh yes, perverted and useless."

Offended, Kakashi narrowed his eyes at him as he tucked the book back in his pouch. "Well, that's the last time I'll offer these classics to you."

Sai chuckled. "Have a good night, senpai." With a tilt of his head, Sai returned to his room.

As the paper door closed, Kakashi waited a few minutes before grinning underneath his mask and stared at the peaceful, quiet night.

_Well, Sai, _he thought. _I never thought I'd see this day. Take care of our Sakura for us._

**A/N: Well, this chapter could have been longer but I thought that was a bit too much already. For this chapter, kudos to ****brendabond****!**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 12- Surprises**

Team Kakashi spent the rest of their mission in Kumogakure by exploring the markets and being toured around the village by the jinchuriki, Killer Bee. Mostly though, it was Sai and Naruto who went along with him while Kakashi and Yamato went off on their own. After exactly three days they were finally summoned by the Raikage and received the reply meant for the Hokage, which meant that its members could now go home. It was mid-day when the team checked out of the _Fukuzawa Inn_. While the rest of the team waited for him outside, Sai stayed behind a few minutes to finalize their leave. He signed his name at the front desk and thanked Fuyuko for the service. The girl appeared to pout.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked, taking the room keys from his hand, letting her fingers linger on his skin. "Such a shame. We rarely get foreign customers from the Leaf. You're the most interesting so far."

Sai resisted the urge to frown. This girl couldn't seem to get the hint that he wasn't interested. Whenever he was at the inn, she made excuses to get close to him; for the past three mornings, she had been coming into the room he shared with Naruto "to make sure" that they had enough soap; she would talk loudly to another employee underneath his room's window, hoping he would pay attention; and whenever he was at the balcony with his sketchpad and pencil, she would suddenly appear below and appear to "assist" the gardener when in truth, she was trying to get him to notice her. He even swore that he saw her at the market stands where he and Naruto were looking around for souvenirs. But of course, none of her tactics worked; our Sai was very faithful to his beloved back in Konohagakure.

"Well, yes," he replied. "We finished our mission after all."

When he let out a soft, solemn sigh, Fuyuko tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "What's the matter?" Grinning, she leaned closer, her low v-neck shirt showing a little cleavage. "You don't want to leave?" she asked, rather hopefully.

Sai shook his head and picked up his backpack from the floor. "On the contrary, I'm quite glad to be returning home." Saying this, an idea popped into his head. Flashing his bright smile that made her clutch the desk for support, he continued. "I miss my girlfriend. I'm just upset that I wasn't able to get her something pretty to make up for the days that I was not by her side."

At his mention of Sakura, Fuyuko's smile dipped into a frown. "Oh, you have a girlfriend," she seemed to scoff.

Nodding happily, Sai said, "Yes. I looked forward to seeing her again." He bowed. "Thank you for your services, Fuyuko-san. We may see you again if we are assigned another mission here; at least now we know where we could go."

Fuyuko flashed him a strained smile. "I look forward to it then."

With another bow of his head, Sai quickly turned on his heels and walked out of the inn. Naruto grinned as he came up to them. As Kakashi and Yamato led the way to the gates, Naruto stepped closer to his dark-haired teammate.

"Let me guess, she tried to seduce you again?" the blonde whispered.

Sai only sighed. "She's worse than a kunoichi on a seduction mission."

Chuckling, Naruto clamped him on the back. "Good for you, buddy. I wonder how Sakura-chan will react?"

Sai shrugged. "If she wasn't pregnant, probably travel all the way here and confront the girl with her fists."

Before she even became his girlfriend, Sai was fully aware how jealous Sakura could be. That was why the matter with Kimiko-san rather surprised him; she managed to be friends with the woman who caused the final break-up between her and her ex-boyfriend. However, Sai was glad that Sakura handled the situation without the use of her monstrous strength. But sometimes though, her jealousy would resurface; as to why she would be jealous of random girls who came across the two of them as they walked through the village together, he wasn't certain; maybe it was a pregnancy thing? He must admit though, Sakura was very cute when she was jealous. He only wished he had gotten her something to show her that he didn't forget her while he was away.

Passing by a store, something caught Sai's eye. He stopped and turned his whole body towards it. Noticing that he had stopped walking, Naruto turned around to see him staring intently through the window of a store.

"Hey, Sai! Come on, we gotta go."

Kakashi and Yamato had stopped as well and were watching the dark-haired artist in interest.

Without taking his eyes away from the object, he waved a hand at the rest of the team. "Give me five minutes. I'll be right back." And with that, he opened the door and entered.

* * *

Children ran around as they played tag; some were on swings and see-saws; a couple were making sand castles in the sand box. A hand over her stomach, Sakura smiled softly as she watched them. Whenever Sai was away on missions, she sometimes liked to spend her time at the park and just watch the children. Their presence was a comfort to her as she remembered her own childhood days.

The first couple of years were brutal with the other children's teasing about her large forehead, that is, until Ino befriended her. It went on a different direction from then on. And then, the thought of Sai's childhood would enter her mind. He never talked about his days as a child and whenever she asked, he always replied that he hardly remembered much of it. Sakura sometimes felt pained whenever he said this; Sai was a good person and the thought of him not remembering anything about his past made her sad; he deserved better than that.

A few feet from her, a little boy tripped and fell on his knees. He began to cry and Sakura was about to stand and help him when a woman, the boy's mother, came rushing from the side. Sakura watched as she brushed the tears away from her son's face before picking him up and taking him to the nearest water fountain to clean the fresh wound on his knee.

"Sakura-chan?"

The pinkette turned her head away from the touching scene and looked up to see the violet-haired Hyuuga smiling softly at her. She held out an ice cream cone. "Chocolate, your favorite," she said.

Accepting the cone, Sakura beamed gratefully. "Arigatou, Hinata-chan."

A vanilla ice cream cone in her hand, Hinata settled herself next to the pinkette and the two girls ate the sweet dessert in silence; Sakura still watched the mother as the woman whispered words of comfort to her crying son.

Whenever Sai wasn't around, the Rookie Nine took it upon themselves to make sure Sakura was never alone; Hinata had decided to accompany her that day. Sakura was glad for the Hyuuga's company; the girl may be quiet and shy but was fun to be with once you got her talking.

"Are you still worried about Sai-san?" Hinata asked, tentatively.

Pausing to smack her lips, Sakura replied, "A little; I can't help but worry about him, wonder if he's eating alright or sleeping well. But hey, we all know Sai. He'll be fine; he's always fine. Besides, it's just a B-rank mission." She sighed before turning her head to Hinata. "You're worried about Naruto too, right?"

The other girl nodded, a little sadly. "I miss him. But I know he'll be back soon."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah."

They stayed in silence again, finishing their cones.

Suddenly, Sakura said, "Hinata-chan, can I ask you something?"

Hinata tilted her head. "Of course. What is it?"

Biting her lip, Sakura turned her head back to the children. "Have you ever wished that Naruto would propose to you?"

At the question, Hinata instantly turned scarlet. "W-Well… Y-Yes… B-But… I-If he's not ready… then I shouldn't force him to. And m-marriage… I-It's a h-huge step… I don't know if I'm ready for it either." She tilted her head to the side. "W-Why do you ask Sakura-chan?"

Chuckling lightly, Sakura shook her head. "Nothing, just curious I guess."

Hinata flashed her a small smile before placing a hand over hers. "If you're worried that Sai-san won't propose to you, then don't be. He loves you very much. But maybe he's just not ready yet."

Retuning the smile, Sakura nodded. "Yeah… I shouldn't worry at all." She shook her head, sheepishly. "I'm being overly dramatic again. Sorry 'bout that Hinata-chan."

"It's no problem." Hinata then tilted her head to the side. "Have you thought of names for your baby yet?"

Her smile growing wider, Sakura giggled. "As a matter of fact, I have…"

* * *

It was now early afternoon. The four-man team landed gracefully onto the hard ground outside Konohagakure's gates. Just like it had taken them two days to get to Kumogakure, it had taken them another two days to return to Konoha. Though weary from the journey, Kakashi turned to the two youngest members of the team.

"Yamato and I will report to Tsunade, you two can go home."

With one last nod, the masked jounin and the Anbu disappeared in puffs of smoke, leaving Naruto and Sai behind.

"So, Sai, what do you want to do now?" Naruto asked, as the two proceeded to enter the village. "I'm heading to Hinata-chan's to tell her I'm back. Wanna come with? We can find Sakura-chan and double date at Ichiraku's."

Sai thought about it. It sounded like a good plan. He would get to see Sakura and spend some time with her. And he was feeling a bit hungry. But then…

He nodded at Naruto. "Sure. But I'll find Sakura-chan. We'll meet you there."

Naruto clapped him on the shoulder. "Sure thing."

The two went separate ways; Naruto headed towards the direction of the Hyuuga compound while Sai headed towards the park. There was something he had to do first before showing himself to Sakura.

* * *

"I'm glad you came to visit, Sakura-san."

"It's no problem Kimiko-san. I didn't really have anything to do today ."

Kimiko smiled as she poured more tea into both of their empty cups. She was surprised when she opened her front door to see a smiling Sakura bearing a box of odango. She didn't even know how the pinkette knew where she lived; but then again, being a kunoichi must have its perks. The two had spent most of the afternoon chatting, drinking tea, and eating odango.

Sakura was certainly enjoying herself and learned more about the girl who was carrying a future Uchiha in her womb. After her mother followed her father into the next life three years ago, she was left alone to fend for herself; she was pretty much independent like Sakura herself. And not only did Kimiko worked nights as a waitress, she also worked days as a cashier at a grocery store; today happened to be her day-off and Sakura was glad that she chose this day to visit her. Sakura asked her what she was going to do once the baby arrived and Kimiko simply shrugged and said, "I'll do what I can. But I think I'll manage."

If Sakura felt sorry for Kimiko before because she didn't have the support that the pinkette had, now, she pitied the poor girl. The kunoichi wanted to do something but didn't know what; at least for a ninja involved in incidents such as an unexpected pregnancy, aid was provided for when needed. But for an unknown civilian like Kimiko, it was unlikely. She may appeal to the Hokage and Sakura was pretty sure that Tsunade would be willing to lend a hand. But it seemed that Kimiko, like Sakura, had a lot of pride and when Sakura suggested appealing her case to the Godaime, the brunette refused.

"I know the Hokage has much more important matters to tend to than this." She gestured to her swollen stomach. "I appreciate your concern, Sakura-san. But I'll be alright, really."

But Sakura still couldn't help but frown. "When you need help with anything, anything at all, please, don't hesitate to ask me."

Kimiko nodded, smiling gratefully. "Arigatou." She took a sip from her cup. "How's your boyfriend by the way? Sai, right?"

A faint blush appeared on Sakura's face. "He's on a mission right now so I can't say for sure. But knowing Sai, he's most likely fine and dandy. He's in Anbu after all."

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "You don't look too convinced."

The pinkette shrugged. "Even if I know that Sai's capable to taking care of himself, I still can't help but worry about him."

"You really love him, don't you?" Kimiko asked, smiling.

Sakura nodded before taking a sip from her cup and putting it down. "In all honesty, I didn't expect it. Sai was the last person I ever expected to fall in love with. I mean, he practically insulted me the first time we met and I punched him so hard that he went flying against a tree. Not exactly a romantic first meeting that I always imagined." A fond smile appeared on her face as she placed a hand on her stomach. "But in a way, I guess it's a blessing in disguise. He makes me so happy and I can't imagine life without him."

While she was talking, Kimiko simply watched her, a little envious. "You're so lucky."

Noticing the somewhat solemn look on the brunette's face, Sakura reached out and placed a hand on top of hers. "You'll find someone too, Kimiko-san, I'm sure of it."

Kimiko placed her other hand on top of hers. "You really think so?"

"I'm definite!" Sakura beamed.

* * *

_Hmmm… She's not home, _Sai thought, locking the door to the apartment.

After taking care of what he needed to do, Sai had gone home to find the place empty and with no Sakura. He knew for certain that his girlfriend got restless whenever she was at home, so she probably went out for a walk or a visit with some of their friends. He went to the Yamanaka Flower Shop first.

The small bell made a jingling sound as he entered the small store. Ino was at the counter, writing on some papers. When she looked up to greet her customers, she was surprised to see Sai.

"Hey, you're back. The mission took longer than you thought then?"

"Yes, though we somehow expected it," he replied, coming up to the counter. "Do you know where Sakura-chan is?"

Ino chuckled as she placed her pen aside and linked her hands together and placed them on top of the counter. "My, my, my, missed our girlfriend, didn't we?"

"Yes, I did."

The blonde grinned. "She stopped by this morning but left."

"Do you know where she went?"

"She said something about buying odango at the shop across the street."

Immediately, Sai tilted his head and thanked her before turning on his heels to walk out. But halfway towards the door, he stopped. Slowly, he turned and walked back to the counter and an amused-looking Ino.

"Forgot something?" she teased.

Sai, for once, didn't smile in reply. In fact, he looked rather worried that Ino's cheeky grin was replaced by one of curiosity. She tilted her head to the side.

"What's up? You don't look like yourself," she stated.

He looked at her before asking in a worried tone, "Did she miss me?"

At the question, Ino raised an eyebrow then started giggling. "Of course she did. What kind of stupid question is that? It's like you're worried that she fell for someone else while you're away."

At the apprehensive look on Sai's face, realization dawned on the young Yamanaka. "Seriously Sai? You thought she found someone else while you were away?" Clucking her tongue, Ino shook her head. "You two are more compatible than you think. She kept asking me the same thing while you were gone."

Sai's solemn face broke into surprise. "Really? But… I love only her."

Ino shrugged. "That's what I told her." She reached out and patted his shoulder. "All she could think about or talk about while you were away was you."

Finally, a soft genuine smile tugged at his lips. "Really?"

The blonde nodded. "Really. Now get out of here and find her!"

Sai nodded. "Arigatou, Ino-san."

He turned to leave but stopped again. When he returned to the counter, Ino began to look annoyed. "What is it now, lover boy?"

He hesitated before saying, "Do you think I should propose to Sakura-chan now or should I wait until after the baby arrives?"

Ino blinked. "And you're asking me this because…?"

"Well… I thought about it. I want to ask her to marry me but for some reason, something always gets in the way. It is either I get interrupted or I feel doubtful about her answer. And what if she doesn't want to marry me?"

An eyebrow was raised at him. "You're kidding right?"

Sai gave her a blank stare.

"Or maybe you're serious." Closing her eyes, Ino sighed before opening them. "If you really want my opinion on this, then I'll say don't wait, if you want to propose to her now, then do it. But, if you feel like you're not ready, if you feel that you'd like to wait, then follow your gut instinct. You're a shinobi aren't you? Use it. Nobody says we can't apply our shinobi skills to everyday life. So do what you think is best."

She gave her answer time to sink in before reaching out and patting him on the arm. "Think about it. There's no rush."

Sai smiled and tilted his head. "Arigatou."

"No problem."

Sai nodded gratefully before saying a final good-bye and leaving the store.

As soon as he was out of sight, Ino sighed before shaking her head. "I'm the one who's single, yet I'm the one giving love advice. Something's very wrong with this picture."

* * *

Ino told him that Sakura went to the shop across the street to buy odango. So Sai went there and inquired to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper told him that the pink-haired girl was there three hours ago and bought a box of odango but never mentioned where she was going.

With no other lead to Sakura's whereabouts, Sai went back to the park; he knew she went there sometimes and maybe she got there right after he left. However, all that met him was the same scene of children playing and parents hovering nearby. Sai watched them for a few minutes, a longing smile on his face before coming to his senses; he had to find Sakura. He wanted to hold her in his arms and run his hand over her beautiful round belly.

As he thought of some other place where he believed she could be, there was a loud gasp, his name called out, and before he could comprehend what was happening, a mass of pink and red attacked him with a deep kiss. The Anbu blinked a few times before allowing his eyes to close and his arms wrap around the waist of the woman who plagued his thoughts day in and day out. He could feel the increasing bump of her stomach and swelled with pride as he kissed her back.

Finally, the two broke apart for air and Sai leaned his forehead onto hers. "Mmm… That was the best welcome home present I've received so far."

Sakura giggled. "I saw Naruto on my way home and he told me you were out looking for me. Something about a double date?" She buried her nose in his chest and took in the scent that was only Sai. "I missed you."

Sai smiled as he pulled her closer. "I missed you too." He pulled away slightly to look at her, the beautiful green eyes, the full pink lips, the adorable nose. "Now, how about that date?"

She laughed before nodding. An around her waist and a hand holding hers, they headed to Ichiraku's.

* * *

"… and then Killer Bee taught me this new rap he made up," Naruto narrated, enthusiastically waving his arms. "Listen." And he began.

Sweat drops appeared on the backs of his companions' heads. The other patrons of the ramen stand as well as Teuchi and Ayame had stopped whatever they were doing to watch him, some amused, others annoyed. Not wanting to be embarrassed by the blonde's antics any further, Sakura grabbed him by the collar and slammed him back down on his seat. Naruto pouted.

"Sakura-chaaaannn…. I was getting to the best part!"

"Dickless, please. None of its parts was any better."

"Hey! Hinata-chaaann! They're ganging up on me!"

"I… I think it was okay, Naruto-kun. But maybe it's best not to do it here." At Naruto's depressed face, Hinata immediately added, "I'll listen to the rest later, if you want."

At his girlfriend's support, Naruto grinned and wrapped an around her. "Ha! See? Hinata-chan liked it!"

"Just hope you don't torture her enough to make her break up with you," Sakura mumbled.

Beside her, Sai laughed. Naruto glared at him.

"All in all, it was a good mission," Sai continued. "Almost like vacation actually."

Sakura turned to him. "So I'm guessing you got a lot of drawing and painting done while you were there?"

He shrugged. "Somewhat."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

Before Sai could answer, Naruto inserted in, "This girl from the inn we stayed at kept stalking him."

At the words, Sakura froze, her chopstick of noodles halfway to her lips. She felt a sudden coldness grip her. "G-Girl?"

"Yeah. She had this huge crush on Sai."

She turned her head to the said boy who continued to eat like it was nothing. "Was she pretty?"

Sai swallowed before answering, "Yes, I suppose she was."

"Oh. What was she like?"

Sai mused for a moment before saying, "Interesting. She had nice green eyes."

"Oh," she said again before going quiet.

A sudden tension hovered over the four shinobis and Hinata tilted her head to the side in confusion. Hating the sudden silence, Naruto began talking about the sights that Killer Bee showed them in Kumogakure. Sai pitched in a few opinions himself every now and then. But Sakura, mysteriously, remained quiet and replied with a soft smile whenever Sai asked if she was alright.

He knew she was lying of course; he could read her well. But knowing Sakura, he waited until after the double date to ask her again.

"I'm fine, really," she insisted as they walked home. "I'm just tired that's all."

Still not believing her, Sai again, waited until they were home and was getting ready for bed. They had a long day after all and both were eager to rest. Right after he exited the bathroom for Sakura, he asked her what was wrong. And finally, she cracked.

"What the hell, Sai? I'm fine, okay?" she snapped, her green orbs glazing with anger.

Sai's eyes widened in surprise. Realizing what she just did, Sakura's eyes softened and she shook her head. "I'm sorry Sai. I didn't mean to do that. But really, I'm fine."

To assure him, she stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips against his cheek before entering the bathroom and closing it. He heard the shower go off. Still confused, Sai walked over to the bed and sunk on it. What was happening to Sakura? He thought she was past the hormonal stage already and that her emotions were stable, now that she was five months along.

Sai was still thinking about this even after Sakura emerged with a smile from the bathroom. It still plagued his mind when Sakura, to his surprise, skipped their usual routine of cuddling and talking to the baby, not to mention, forgot to kiss him good-night, and instead, turned her back to him and fell asleep right away. He didn't even get the chance to give her the present her got for her from Kumogakure. The poor artist tried and tried to figure out what was wrong. It was not until, while he stroked her swollen stomach tenderly with his fingers, did he realize.

Was Sakura… angry at him? Did he somehow do something to upset her?

* * *

The next morning, Sai woke up early as usual. His beloved Sakura was still slumbering next to him; she had somehow found a way to snuggle closer to his chest. He smiled; even if she was mad at him, she couldn't stay away. Fondly and lovingly, he pressed his lips to her brow.

"I love you," he whispered before gently untangling himself from her hold.

And as usual in the mornings, he went to make her a delicious breakfast to show her how much he loved her. But instead of waiting for her to wake-up as usual so he could join her, he dressed quickly in his shinobi clothes, swung his backpack on his shoulder, left a note saying that he went out to take care of something, and left the apartment.

With a sense of purpose, Sai headed over to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. It was early but he could see a blonde-haired man, whom he assumed to be Ino's father, opening the shop. He looked up as the young Anbu approached, bid him a "good morning," and asked for Ino.

"She's inside." He continued to watch Sai, closely. "You're that Sai who got Haruno-san pregnant, right?"

Sai nodded. "Yes."

Ino's father narrowed his eyes at him, suspiciously. "What do you want with my daughter?"

Sai smiled in response. "I have something to ask her."

"Hey Dad, do you know where-" Ino came out of the shop and paused when she saw the dark-haired artist. "Ohayou Sai. What are you doing here?"

"I have something to ask you."

"Is that so? Come on in."

Her father looked startled. "Ino, be careful."

Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion at her father, Ino just shrugged. "Uh… Sure. By the way, do you know where Mom placed the order form for the bouquet of roses for the Daimyo's wife? It's getting picked up today."

"Second drawer."

"Gotcha. Come on in Sai."

The dark-haired artist tilted his head at Ino's father before entering the shop after Ino. She gestured to an empty chair while she went around the counter and rummaged through its drawers.

"So, you need to ask me something?" she asked, taking out what she needed and placing it on one side of the counter.

Settling himself on the chair, Sai nodded. "I'm not sure if I'm correct in my assumption that Sakura-chan is angry with me."

Ino looked up in interest; she grabbed another chair and placed it across Sai before sitting down, a hand under her chin. "Really? What makes you say that?"

Sai tilted his head to the side. "Well, everything was fine when we finally saw each other yesterday and we went out on a double date with Naruto and Hinata-"

The blonde groaned. "Alright, what did the idiot do?"

Sai shrugged. "He didn't do anything."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

He nodded. "Hai. He was simply narrating everything that happened during the mission. It was a pleasant conversation and Sakura-chan suddenly became all quiet and distant in the middle of it. She seemed… what's the word? Oh, irritated. And I feel that right now, she's doesn't want to talk to me and I don't even know why."

"Hmm… I see. So what exactly was Naruto talking about yesterday?"

"He talked about Killer Bee, the raps he taught him, the sights in Kumogakure, the girl from the inn-"

Instantly, Ino perked up. "Girl? What girl? Do tell."

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Sai replied, "There was a girl working at the inn we stayed at. She appeared to like me but I wasn't interested in her. She was terribly annoying, not cute annoying like Sakura-chan was when I first met her."

"And what… Wait… Cute annoying?"

Sai smiled, pleasantly. "I found her nagging quite adorable and entertaining."

She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. Shaking her head, she waved her hand for him to continue. "The girl followed me everywhere I went. I think she got frustrated when I told her I have a girlfriend."

Ino nodded her head, understanding. "And what was Sakura's reaction?"

Sai placed his thumb and index finger under his chin, trying to remember. Then, it dawned on him. "She seemed upset after." His eyebrows furrowed. "She looked… jealous."

Ino nodded again. "Exactly. She got jealous of this girl. But I still find it weird that Sakura would get jealous of some girl she's never met. Are you sure you or Naruto didn't give her some type of wrong message?"

Confused, Sai tilted his head to the side. "Like what?"

The blonde shrugged. "I don't know. Like, tell her the girl was pretty or something."

Sai thought about it. "As a matter of fact, I did say that the girl was pretty, interesting, and had nice green eyes."

"Ding, ding, ding. There's your answer."

The artist still looked confused. "But what was wrong with what I said? She asked whether the girl was pretty and I said, 'yes.' And she asked me what the girl was like and I said she was interesting and had nice eyes."

Ino sighed then shook her head. "Sai, Sakura is a pregnant woman. Did it ever occur to you that maybe, she'd feel a little bit insecure about her looks at this point?"

"But I always tell her she's beautiful."

"Yeah, but at this point, I don't think it's enough. I have a feeling that she feels a bit… threatened by other girls, especially the thin ones. She feels fat because of her pregnancy and it's up to you, as her boyfriend, to not just tell her she's beautiful, but to make her _feel_ beautiful despite her huge stomach. Saying that the girl from Kumo was pretty and interesting and nice eyes made Sakura feel like you might want to replace her with this girl. And speaking of the girl from Kumo, was she really interesting, pretty, and had nice eyes?"

"Are you going to hurt me if I stay honest?"

"No. Just tell me why, 'cause I'm a bit curious now."

Sai regarded her warily before answering, "I only said she was interesting because she somehow managed to follow my tracks like a skilled shinobi. And she was pretty but not as pretty as Sakura-chan. And her eyes were green, like Sakura-chan's, except Sakura-chan's are a softer, more striking shade compared to her dull, ordinary green ones. In a way, her presence made me miss Sakura-chan."

At his answer, Ino's mouth had dropped open. Basically, Sai had compared Sakura to this girl and all because her eyes reminded him of the pinkette.

"So let me get this straight." Ino rose from the chair and began pacing back and forth. "You described this girl as pretty, interesting, and had nice eyes because she reminded you a bit of your girlfriend. Said girlfriend became jealous and is now mad at you?"

"Um… Sakura-chan did not appear mad. She just appeared… annoyed."

"I see. Well, it was practically your fault. You should have known better than to describe another woman as attractive and somehow, refrained from telling Sakura that you only thought so because the girl reminded you of her. As a matter of fact, you shouldn't have described her as attractive at all! You should have at least said something along the lines of, 'She was okay' or 'You're prettier.'"

She stopped talking to catch her breath. Meanwhile, Sai took her words in and realized that she was right. He should have been more subtle when it came to Sakura's feelings. She did often feel insecure about her looks ever since the bump became even more prominent, and Sai always told her that she was beautiful. But had he shown it? He wasn't entirely sure.

"Does this mean I should apologize?" he asked, looking up at Ino.

"Are you kidding? Of course you're apologizing! Even though you didn't mean to, you hurt her feelings. It may seem small and inconsequential, but don't forget, Sakura is _pregnant. _Pregnant women are more sensitive than normal women. Didn't Kakashi-sensei already give you this lesson?"

She gave her words time to sink in before heading towards a bucket of purple flowers and took one from the bunch. Walking over to him, she thrust the plant into his hands. "Purple hyacinths for 'I'm sorry.' This will show how sorry you are and that you're asking for her forgiveness."

At first, the dark-haired artist simply stared at the flowers before allowing a smile to graze his face. He stood up from the chair. "Arigatou, Ino-san. How much?"

The blonde waved a hand, nonchalantly. "On the house."

"Arigatou."

"Go get her, lover-boy."

With a nod and another word of thanks, Sai exited the store. Ino shook her head. "Again, I'm single yet I'm helping people with their love problems. Something is most definitely wrong with this picture!"

With a sigh, the blonde kunoichi went back to work.

* * *

When Sai arrived at the apartment, Sakura was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she washed the dishes. She didn't hear him come in; either that or she was ignoring him. On the table, right where Sai's place was, a plate of rice and eggs and a mug of coffee lay waiting for him. Masking his chakra and using his skills of silence and stealth, he approached his pregnant girlfriend. When he was right behind her and she didn't feel him, he smirked before wrapping his arms around her waist and tucking his head on her shoulder. For a moment, she stiffened before relaxing into his arms. She turned the faucet off, wiped her hands on a towel before turning to face him.

She smiled a small smile before wrapping her arm around his waist. "I'm sorry," she said.

He shook his head before taking the hyacinth tucked in his belt. He held it out in front of her and she let out a soft gasp before taking it in her hands.

"Sai-kun…"

"I'm sorry if I hurt you Sakura-chan. It wasn't my intention to make you feel like you're not beautiful and that I don't love you." He laid his forehead against hers. "Can you ever forgive me?"

At first, Sakura just stared open-mouthed at him. She was the one who acted like a spoiled brat yet he was the one apologizing. She didn't tell him why she was upset and left him confused yet here he was, asking for her forgiveness for something he had unintentionally done. What had she ever done to deserve a person as great as Sai?

In response to his question, Sakura leaned in and closed the gap between them. She didn't get to kiss him good-night and she was going to make it up to him. Sai kissed her deeply and hungrily that actually made Sakura moan in pleasure. The hyacinth dropped to the floor as she ran her hands from his bare waist to his chest, pulling gently on his shirt's zipper to touch his skin. A soft growl emitted from his throat and she giggled at the effect she had on him. Meanwhile, Sai's hands were exploring her back, sending bouts of pleasant shivers down her spine with every caress. He tugged at her dress' fabric in distress, wanting nothing more than to just rip it so he could feel her skin.

When they finally pulled away, breathing heavily, Sakura raised her hands from his chest and placed them on his cheeks. "No Sai. I'm sorry. I should have told you what was wrong and instead, I acted like a bitch. No need to defend me," she added when he opened his mouth to answer. "It's just that, when you talked about that girl, I just… I got jealous. And I know I shouldn't because I know you love me, but I still couldn't help it. It was wrong of me to snap at you and give you the silent treatment last night."

Sai placed a hand over one of her hands on his cheek. "I only said she was beautiful, interesting, and had nice green eyes because she reminded me of you. But I assure you, Sakura-chan, she was nothing like you and to be honest, I prefer you and only you. Please, don't be jealous any more."

Sakura smiled at him and nodded. "I promise." She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist again. "I'm sorry, Sai-kun. But ever since…" She took a deep breath. "Ever since Sasuke, I… I started being afraid that you might leave me like he did."

At her words, Sai stiffened. "You really thought that I would do the same thing that traitor did to you?" he said, softly.

Realizing what he could have understood from her words, Sakura raised her head to look at him. She shook her head. "I-I didn't mean it like that."

"Then tell me what you did mean."

Sakura bit her lip, apprehensively. "What I'm trying to say is that, I'm afraid that I might not be worth loving. I'm afraid that you might realize that and leave me. And I don't want you to leave me Sai-kun. I love you so much that I don't to lose you, not you."

Tears had pooled and flowed from her green orbs. Before she could brush them away, Sai's hand reached up and wiped them away from her. Then, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose, then finally, her lips. When he pulled away, he was smiling.

"You're a very silly girl, tomato-face," he stated, chuckling.

Sakura smacked his arm, pouting and attempted to untangle from his hold. Sai laughed before pulling her closer.

"I would never leave you, Sakura-chan," he whispered, huskily. It made Sakura shiver pleasantly. "You won't lose me, I promise. You're important to me, both of you are important to me," he added, placing a hand over her stomach. Then, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a small paper bag. He opened it and revealed a fuchsia cherry blossom hairpiece made from silk and dotted with tiny, pink crystal beads. "I got this from a store in Kumo." Gently, his fingers clipped it on one side of her pink hair. "I thought it contrasted well with your hair."

Tentatively, she reached up to touch it gingerly with her fingers. "Ano… Arigatou."

A smile broke into Sai's face and he pulled her close again. "I love you so much, Sakura-chan."

Returning the smile, Sakura nudged her nose with his. "I love you too, Sai-kun."

They shared another kiss, slower and more gentle than the one they shared before, each just savoring the moment and the feel of each other's presence. When they pulled away, Sai picked up the fallen hyacinth and placed it on the kitchen table next to his cold breakfast. To Sakura's surprise, he took her hand and pulled her to the door.

"Matte… Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," he replied, pleasantly.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"Maybe later."

* * *

"Sai-kun… Where are you taking me?" Sakura mumbled, her eyes covered by a blindfold.

"You'll see."

Finally, they stopped walking. Based on the distance, they were a long way from their apartment. But where?

"Ready?" he asked, excitement evident in his voice.

"Sure."

Sai removed the blindfold and Sakura's eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the sudden light. She blinked at the playing children across the street before turning her head to look at Sai. "Why are we at the park?"

He chuckled. "Turn around."

Curious, Sakura did. And her breath caught in her throat. In front of her was a white, two-story house with a brick chimney, a porch, a balcony on one side, and a sakura tree. It looked like the house Sai had drawn straight from her imagination!

Struck speechless, Sakura turned to her grinning boyfriend.

"It's ours," he simply stated, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Just bought it yesterday."

Her jaw dropped open. "Are… are you serious?"

He nodded. "It doesn't have the bay windows or the large front yard and the sakura tree is on the wrong side, but maybe after some time, we can add the bay windows and plant another tree under the-"

He couldn't finish the rest of his sentence since Sakura had pounced on him and kissed him deeply.

"Thank you!" she cried when she pulled away. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Then, her face fell. "But, how did you afford this?"

Sai smiled a mysterious smile. "I'll tell you one day. All that matters now is that we can live your dream. We have a house and a baby on the way. We're going to have a family."

Sakura could not help the happy tears that slid down her cheeks. Her dreams were coming true. And all because of this dark-haired artist who insulted her the first time they met. And now, he was making her the happiest woman on Earth.

"I love you," she said.

He smiled before pulling her close. "I love you too."

Both looked up at the house, anticipating the future, knowing that as long as they had each other, they had everything they could ever ask for.

**A/N: Whoo! This is probably the longest chapter yet. I'm afraid to say that this story is coming to a close. Probably just two or three more chapter before I wrap it up. Kudos to ****yuugir****i for this chapter! You have your Sai-Ino friendship moment.**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 13- Changes**

**Warning: Spoilers for my Gaara/OC fic, **_**Nagareboshi**_**. But not so much.**

**A/N: I'm terrible at action scenes so please forgive this one. It sucks.**

Soon after the big house reveal, Sai and Sakura wasted no time arranging the paperwork needed for them to move in. While Sakura had a meeting with the landlord of the apartment complex to discuss the lease, Sai went to the Hokage to finalize his ownership of the property, which Tsunade gladly finished and approved in a matter of two days. A week later, with the help of their friends, all of the furniture in the apartment were moved into the new house. Sai and Sakura were both very grateful. In order to show his appreciation for their help, Sai spent many nights painting them portraits. The Rookie nine were happy for the couple, they really were; and they would help them with anything they needed.

But no other person was happier than Sai and Sakura. The house was perfect both inside and out! It had a large living room with a fireplace, a spacious kitchen (to Sakura's delight), and a lovely backyard. It also had three bedrooms, which meant that the baby could have its own room and Sai could have his studio.

Time passed. Sakura was now seven months along. And just as they planned, she and Sai began working on the baby's room. It was more or less dramatic. It took them a few days to a week to decide on what color to paint the wall; Sakura wanted pink, but Sai believed in something neutral like yellow, just in case. And just like any other couple, they argued then gave each other the silent treatment (well, Sakura gave Sai the silent treatment; the latter talked to her anyway even if all he received as a response was a, "Hmph" and penetrating glares). Finally, they realized how ridiculous they were acting because this was about their child, not them; white was decided in the end. And then came the more important aspect of the baby's room: furniture. They went shopping. However, because of their minute salary as shinobis, not to mention, Sakura's maternity leave from both her kunoichi and hospital duties, they were not able to get much: a small bassinette (perfect for the first few months until they could get a crib), a stroller, a few toys, half a dozen bottles and a pacifier, and some baby clothes (only a few pieces, Ino's shopping spree a few months ago had provided the child with enough clothes to last until her first steps). Arranging everything together in the newly-painted room (courtesy of Sai and Naruto), the house was ready for the baby's arrival in two months time.

All in all, it was a wonderful start to the new life that awaited the couple.

"Everything's finally falling into place," Sakura whispered to Sai one night as they cuddled on the couch, watching a late night movie.

Sai gazed at her with a gentle look on his face before planting a kiss on her temple as a hand caressed her stomach. "I know. And I'm happy. So happy."

* * *

The 28th of March was a special day for Konoha's pinkette; today was her nineteenth birthday. The pregnant kunoichi woke up to the delightful aroma of breakfast-in-bed specially made for her by her boyfriend.

"Happy Birthday, tomato-face," he greeted, kissing her cheek before setting the tray down on her lap.

She smacked him on the arm, playfully. He grinned before reaching underneath the bed to reveal a small, brown package.

"I'm sorry but didn't know what to get you," he confessed as she took it from his hands eagerly and unwrapped it.

Seeing the content of the box, she looked up into his face, startled.

He smiled. "You mentioned something about needing new shurikens a few months back."

She chuckled and smiled before leaning in and kissing his cheek. "Arigatou, Sai-kun. I do love it," she said. "And I love the breakfast," she added, before putting the box of shurikens aside and turning to the food in front of her; eggs, bacon, and French Toast were arranged neatly on the plate along with a cup of coffee and a glass of water.

"So, since Naruto isn't coming over to celebrate with us until tonight, what do you want to do until then?" Sai asked as he watched her eat. "Today's your day Sakura-chan, so name it."

Sakura swallowed and licked her lips, her eyebrows scrunched as she thought of things they could do. They could go to the movies, maybe eat out for lunch. Then, her eyes brightened and she allowed a smile to graze her lips.

"I want you to meet somebody, two of them actually," she said, shyly. "Is that okay?"

At first, he appeared startled by her request but eventually smiled and nodded. "Of course."

The two left the house an hour later. Since Sai didn't know where they were going, he allowed Sakura to lead him throughout the village. They stopped at the Yamanaka Flower Shop for a brief moment. After Ino had greeted her a "Happy Birthday" and informed them of a little party she was hosting.

"Just a little get together for the Rookie nine to reminisce about old times," the blonde had said as Sakura purchased a dozen orchids.

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Fine, we'll go."

Before the two left the shop, Ino turned to Sai with a penetrating glare and the strict command to make sure they come. He smiled at her and nodded in promise.

Once they were back othe streets, Sakura began to lead him again to their destination. When he asked her about the flowers, she just flashed him a mysterious smile and said, "You'll see."

She took him past the village square and past the training grounds. Curiosity was tugging at Sai and constantly felt the urge to ask her where she was taking him, but decided not to. To his surprise, she took him to a place he hardly visited, mainly because he had no one to visit.

"Sakura-chan, why are we celebrating your birthday at the cemetery?" he asked, as Sakura tugged at his arm to quicken his pace.

"I told you, I want you to meet some people."

Finally, they stopped in front of two graves. Sai suddenly found himself to have ceased breathing; etched on the gravestones were the names "Hideki Haruno" and "Akane Haruno" along with the dedication, "Skilled shinobis of Konoha. Loving parents of Sakura Haruno."

It took Sai a while to realize that Sakura had released his arm and was now kneeling in front of the graves. She divided the orchids and placed a bundle on each grave. Then, she reached into her purse and took out two white candles and a matchbook. Without missing a beat, she set the candles next to the orchids and lighted them. Then, she brought her hands together in front of her in prayer then bowed low.

"Gomenasai Otou-san, Okaa-san," she said, a small smile on her lips. "I haven't visited as much as before. But I'm here now. And I brought someone with me." With that, she turned her head to Sai and held out a hand to him.

Still struck speechless, Sai took a step forward next to her and took her hand. Their fingers linked and Sakura turned back to the graves, happily. "Otou-san, Okaa-san, this is Sai. He's the father of your grandchild. Sai, these are my parents."

It took the artist a while to realize that Sakura was waiting for his response. He bowed low. "It's very nice to meet you," he said, smiling.

He got no response of course. But for some reason, Sai felt somewhat relieved. Even though he never had the chance to personally meet the parents of the woman he loved, he still felt honored that she still introduced him to them, even if they weren't there physically. Without another word, Sai settled himself next to Sakura, their fingers still linked.

The gentle wind tugged and played with the strands of their hair and both felt content at the silence brought about by the deserted cemetery. As he absent-mindedly drew figures on the top of Sakura's hand with his index finger, the pinkette turned to him, her smile gone and replaced with what he distinguished to be a doubtful look.

"Sai-kun

"Hmm?"

She bit her lip before taking a deep breath. "Why?"

He tilted his head to the side, puzzled. "Why what?"

She swallowed. "Why do you love me?"

Her question caught him off-guard. Now she sounded doubtful herself.

"You doubt my love for you?" he asked, his heart aching a little. Didn't she trust him?

Biting her lip again, Sakura shook her head. "It's not that. It's just…"

"Just what?"

She took a deep breath again. "It's just that… sometimes, I can't help but wonder if you only love me because of our child."

With that statement, she turned her head away, unable to meet his eyes. All Sai could do was look at her in disbelief. Gently, he took her chin and forced her to face him again. He scooted closer to her as he looked deep into her green eyes, her beautiful green eyes. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I'm not going to lie to you in front of your parents," he whispered, stroking her cheek. "I love you, Sakura. I loved you before the baby. And I will still love you after the baby. When we first met, you were the only one who tried to understand me. When everybody else, including myself, believed that I wasn't capable of feeling emotions, you were stubborn. You believed that I was capable, you helped me discover my feelings. You helped me discover love."

He took her hands and planted butterfly kisses on each knuckle, whispering, "I love you" after each kiss.

Sakura gazed at him in wonder admiration. She was worried before; the question had been tugging at her mind for a while now and though she knew that Sai loved her, she still couldn't help but doubt that someone as wonderful as him could love someone as lowly as her. But now, she was assured. She would question his feelings no longer. Because with every touch, with every word, with every action, Sai showed her how much he cared and how much she deserved to be loved.

"You were always there for me," she whispered.

He looked up at her, a little confused.

"You were always there for me when I needed you, before and after that night between us," she continued. "No matter how much I bitched about my problems, no matter how many times I took my anger out on you, you never left my side. You cheered me up the best you could, even if you felt uncomfortable doing it. It's because of you that I always felt safe." She placed a hand on his cheek. "I love you too, Sai-kun."

He smiled softly and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. Then, he lowered his head to her stomach and placed his ear against it, as if he was listening to their child's heartbeat. Sakura beamed brighter than the sun as she ran her fingers through his soft dark hair.

When they arrived home, a package was settled against the front door. They looked at in curiosity until Sai picked it up. "It's for you," he said when he noticed her name scrawled on one side.

She took the package from him and opened it. Inside was an envelope as well as a new maternity dress. When she opened the card and read it, she allowed a small gasp to escape her lips.

"What is it?" Sai asked.

Sakura gulped and showed him the card. "It's from Sasuke," she answered.

The words were simple: Happy Birthday -Sasuke Uchiha.

At first, Sai stiffened. Sakura bit her lip, nervously. Sasuke had not bothered them in so long now. She didn't know what reaction this sudden gesture would emerge from Sai. She expected his eyes to go cold and emotion-less. She expected him to frown and look depressed. But to her surprise, Sai broke into a small smile.

"I must admit, he has good taste," he said, smirking at the dress' low, v-neck line. "Why don't you try it on?"

Sakura again, allowed herself to gasp. But deep inside, she couldn't help but feel proud of this change in Sai. Her heart swelled in pride.

* * *

Today was the day of Ino's little get together party. This day found Sai and Sakura in their room as the latter rummaged through her half of the closet, throwing clothing after clothing on the already clothing-filled bed. Sai was sitting on a chair by the window, sketching an abstract picture. He was dressed in a dark blue, button down shirt and black pants; his forehead protector was off.

"… what do you think of this?" Sakura pulled a pink dress from the closet.

Sai raised his head and surveyed the dress. "It's nice."

Sakura scowled at him. "That's what you said about the last three-"

"Six, actually," he interrupted, pleasantly. "I've been counting."

He grinned but she didn't smile. Instead, she threw the dress on top of the many others on the bed.

"I have nothing to wear!" she cried in frustration, clutching the sides of the closet.

Sai raised an eyebrow at her, turned his gaze to the pile on the bed before turning back to her. Sighing, he placed his sketchbook aside, stood up, and walked over to her. Gently, he slid his arms around her not-so tiny waist (for the time being).

"You're beautiful in whatever you wear," he whispered to her ear. "Besides, it's just a small get-together. Why are you so worried about what you look?"

Sakura leaned into his chest, savoring his touch and sighed. "I'm fat and I'm carrying a baby. I know I don't look any better than the couch in the living room so I might as well try to look pretty. Is that a crime?"

Chuckling, Sai moved beside her to rummage into the various maternity dresses and tops that had replaced her normal clothes. He sometimes wondered why women insist of owning so much clothing yet still say they have nothing to wear.

"It's hard to look pretty when you're pregnant," she continued to grumble.

Without a word, Sai pulled out a red, sleeveless dress with a low v-neckline. It was the dress Sasuke got her for her birthday, but Sakura never touched it, not because it was given by the Uchiha; the neckline was too low for her liking.

"How about this?" Sai asked, handing it to her. "You haven't worn it yet."

She looked surprised at his choice. "Are you sure?"

Sai chuckled. "What do you mean am I sure? Sakura, it's just a dress. Just because _he_ gave it to you, doesn't mean you shouldn't wear it."

Sakura looked at the dress like it was a missing nin. "Do you even see that plunging neckline?

He shrugged. "Put something underneath then. Come on Sakura-chan, we're going to be late if you don't get dressed soon."

Biting her lip, Sakura let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine." She took the dress, rummaged through her drawers for a tank top and went to the bathroom to change.

Even though they have been living together for about two months now, the pinkette was still a bit embarassed getting dressed in front of Sai. The latter somewhat finds this amusing; he had already seen every part of her, more than anybody had; for example, she had a burn mark on the middle of her back (whose origins he was yet to find out). When he told her this, she just blushed and mumbled that she wasn't thinking straight that time and that he should wait until she was ready to become… physical with him again after the baby's birth. So Sai had no choice but to swear not to touch her until she was ready again… no matter how sad it made him.

Sakura came out of the bathroom all dressed and even after several months of being with her, Sai still found himself marveling at how beautiful and perfect she was. Despite what Sakura said about her being fat, he begged to differ; she was still so beautiful. Sakura flashed him a look, as if to say, "Well?"

He crossed the room and stood in front of her, smiling. He brushed a strand of pink hair behind her ear. "Beautiful," he whispered, making her blush in response. He held his arm out to her. "Ready?"

She smiled before hooking her arm through his. "Bring it on."

* * *

"Ohayou, Mr. Yamanaka," Sakura called to Ino's father as she and Sai entered the flower shop.

The older man looked up from the counter. and smiled at them. "Ohayou Haruno-san, Sai-san. Ino and the others are upstairs."

The couple thanked him before heading to the second-floor apartment. When they opened the door, crackers popped, confetti fell, and a loud chorus of, "Surprise!" caught the two off guard. Ino didn't lie; all of Konoha eleven were there as well as their senseis and Konohamaru. The small apartment was decorated lavishly with streamers and lanterns; a banner with the words, "Congratulations to the new parents" hung on a wall. There was table full of food and drinks: heaping plates of sandwiches, dumplings, sushi, onigiri and odango along with pots of tea, pitchers of juice and soda, and bottles of sake. In a corner was a table stacked with brightly-wrapped gifts.

"Guys, what's all this?" Sakura managed after the shock wore off.

Grinning, Ino bounded up to her. "This, forehead, is your baby shower!"

"Baby shower?" Sai and Sakura chorused.

"It was all Ino-chan's idea," Naruto pitched in, a large smile on his face.

Ino was swelling with pride. "Yep! Now, come on!"

Before Sakura could say anything else, Ino had grabbed her arm and dragged her inside. Blinking for a moment in confusion, Sai began to follow. Kiba was the nearest to him so the artist turned to him and asked, "What's a baby shower?"

The dog-lover gave him an incredulous look. "You don't know what a baby shower is?"

"Would I ask if I knew?"

Kiba shrugged. "It's a sort of welcome party for your baby."

"But the baby's not coming for another two months."

"Well, technically, it's a party for the expecting parents. Y'know, a congratulatory type of thing." Not sure of what else to tell the clueless young artist, Kiba ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Basically, we give you gifts meant for the kid, you take 'em, everybody's happy. You got me?"

Sai considered then nodded. He turned his head to see that the girls were now fussing over Sakura, asking about the baby, touching her stomach, and cooing at it. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched his girlfriend blush at the attention she and her belly were getting. Before he could walk over and save her, Naruto had grabbed him and steered him over to the guy's side of the party.

"Help yourself, Sai," Kakashi told him, thrusting a plate of food and a glass of orange juice in his hands. "This is all for you and Sakura."

Shikamaru clapped him on the back. "It's troublesome but you might as well."

Sai blinked, looked over at Sakura, before deciding that she appeared safe with the other kunoichis. So he flashed a smile at the other shinobis and relaxed into a chair.

Meanwhile, with the girls…

"Since we didn't really celebrate your birthday last week, we thought we'd merge it with your baby shower," Ino told Sakura as they nursed cups of green tea and helped themselves to a plate of onigiri that Hinata made herself.

"Oh, thanks," Sakura said, still feeling awkward.

She was still surprised at this little birthday party/baby shower. Last week, after visiting her parents' graves, the rest of her nineteenth birthday was celebrated with Sai, Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato in their new home with take-out ramen, fried dumplings, shrimp tempura, and odango. It wasn't much, but she was content with it. And there she thought the rest of her friends were just too broke to get her anything (except in the Hyuuga's case; Neji and Hinata were well off anyhow).

"Tsunade-sama wanted to come but she had a ton of paperwork to finish," Tenten said. "But she gave you that," she pointed to pink box with a red ribbon tied over it. "She said she hopes you like it."

Sakura beamed. "Arigatou, minna-san. You really didn't have to do this you know."

Ino waved a hand in nonchalance. "Don't worry about it forehead, you and Sai deserve it. Especially you. Now, let's enjoy the food and later on, you can open your presents."

The party went on through the afternoon; Ino planned it well. She even organized games! One had all the guys racing to finish drinking ramen soup from a baby bottle; Naruto won it, no surprise there. Another was for the girls dress up one of the guys; and when I say "dress up," I mean really _dress_ them up; Tenten won because she managed to magically transform Neji into a girl (even Kakashi could not keep his calm demeanor and ended up rolling on the floor with laughter when he saw the Hyuuga prodigy emerge wearing a sleeveless, white dress with his long hair in an elaborate up-do and his usual scowl). After another full debate between Ino and Naruto, who insisted that Hinata should have won (he and the Hyuuga heiress were disqualified because he used his Sexy No Jutsu), they were ready to move on to another game.

As Ino held up a box of baby food and was about to explain the rules of the game when the door opened. Temari and Kankuro stepped in, the former holding a blue gift bag.

"Yo," the puppet master greeted.

The blonde was grinning. "Sorry we're late! The caravan lost a wheel on the way so we had to wait until it got fixed."

"Temari-san! Kankuro-san!" Sakura came forward and gave the two siblings a hug. "Thanks for coming. How did you know about this?"

"Ino-san made Shikamaru write to me about it and invited us," she replied before handing her the gift bag and heading over to said boyfriend.

Kankuro grinned at Sakura. "So? A baby eh? Congrats, Haruno-san."

He chuckled at the scarlet-faced kunoichi before patting her on the head. He headed over to the guys. "Yo, Sai! I'm impressed man! I didn't know you had it in you!"

Sakura turned around to see that like her, Sai had blushed red at the puppeteer's comment. Before she could do anything else, the third Sand sibling appeared at the door, his hands linked with a girl whom Sakura did not immediately recognize. When she did, her eyes widened and she heard Naruto yell out, "Hey, Gaara! You brought your girlfriend!"

The girl blushed a deep scarlet while a rare smile grazed Gaara's lips. "Fiancée, actually," he said, without hesitation. "I proposed to her a few weeks ago."

And that was when Sakura's eyes flickered to a diamond-encrusted ring on the girl's finger. She felt a sudden stab of jealousy, but at the same time, she was happy for the couple. She stepped forward and, knowing that Gaara wasn't a hugger, offered her hand.

"Congratulations, Gaara," she said, happily. "And you too, Minako-san."

The girl looked startled and she stuttered out a, "Thank you." She was as shy as Sakura remembered her two years prior after they saved Gaara from Deidara. Back then though, Minako had a broken arm and a bandage around her forehead; she had been injured when Suna's well collapsed on her as she tried to go after Gaara. She looked better now and much happier, and so did the Kazekage.

"Come in and join us," Ino called out. "Gaara, some of us haven't met your girlfriend, I mean, fiancée yet. You don't mind if we steal her for now, do you?"

Before Gaara could answer, the blonde had rushed forward and was pulling the startled Sand kunoichi among them. Gaara blinked before being dragged away into the boys' side of the room by his older brother.

Meanwhile, as Sakura returned to the girls' side, she couldn't help but watch Minako with both happiness and envy; the girl was lucky to be getting married to the one person she loved the most. While Sakura… she looked over at Sai, who was animatedly talking to Kankuro, and sighed a little sadly. She would wait. No matter how long it took, she would wait. She just hoped that she had enough patience for it.

After the wonderful, surprise baby shower her friends had thrown for her, the baby's room was more occupied than it was before. In addition to the bassinet and the few toys, the room now had a rocking chair from Yamato, "Baby First-read" books from Kakashi, and a toy box from Team Kurenai. There were also new toys for the baby; a stuffed fox from Naruto (Sakura had to giggle at that); building blocks from Team Gai; various rattles from the sand siblings; plastic kunai and shurikens from Konohamaru; and crib-side toys from Tsunade. As for clothes, Ino and the rest of Team Asuma had bought more as well as Kurenai; there was also three pairs of green, spandex overalls given by Gai (Sakura made Sai promise to hide these at the very back of the closet).

Overall, it was a successful baby shower.

* * *

Sakura wanted to visit Kimiko; it had been a while since she had last seen the girl and she wanted to check up on her. Sai obliged and decided to accopany, concerned about the girl's well-being as well. He hardly knew her but Sai knew she deserved better treatment than what the Uchiha was showing her. That was his child for Kami's sake! How cold could he get?

So the couple arrived at Kimiko's apartment, bearing a box of dumplings for lunch. But when Sakura knocked on the door three straight times with no answer, they began to wonder; did she have work that day? But no, Kimiko told Sakura that Tuesdays and Thursdays were her day-offs; today was Tuesday.

"Excuse me, are you looking for Kimiko?" a voice asked

Sakura and Sai turned their heads to see a weary-looking, old woman watching them with curiosity.

"Um, yes," Sakura answered, bowing to her in respect.

Sai did the same. "Do you know when she'll be home?" he asked.

The woman looked surprised. "Oh, you don't know then?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

The woman smiled. "She went into labor last night. Poor girl came running to my door and even though it was already midnight, I woke up my granddaughter and the two of us took her to the hospital."

Sakura's hand flew to her mouth, smiling in delight. "Oh my god! Really? I'm so happy for her! How is she now?"

"She's alright' my granddaughter's with her now. It took hours but the baby was finally born. It's a boy. "

"A son!" Sakura turned to Sai, beaming. "She has a son." She took his arm. "Can we visit her please?"

The whole time the woman was talking, Sai had gone into shock. He wasn't the father but he could keep this feeling of happiness from bubbling inside him and at the same time, a feeling of envy and longing. He looked at Sakura's expectant face and his face flickered to her large belly. He smiled and nodded his head.

"Let's go."

Excitedly, Sakura thanked the woman before practically dragging Sai away. They stopped by the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino was away on a mission so it was her mother who entertained to their needs. Sakura bought a bouquet of twenty five roses and made Sai carry it for her to the hospital.

"Why so many?" he asked on the way.

"Twenty-five roses mean 'congratulations,'" she replied, smiling widely. "Her baby's birth is a cause for celebration you know." Suddenly, she bit her lip. "I wonder if Sasuke knows…"

Sai was thinking of the same thing himself. Even if the Uchiha refused to acknowledge the child, his son, he should still be informed. It was his right to know.

When they arrived and asked the lobbyist where Kimiko Shimizu's room was, they were directed to a room on the third floor. As they walked there, Sakura guided Sai because he could hardly see because the roses blocked his view. They stopped and Sakura looked around.

"It's this way," she said, pulling him by the arm towards a different direction. "The room numbers here are arranged by odd or even. Even numbers are on the right and odd numbers on the left. So Room 317 should be on the-"

She stopped suddenly and Sai almost tripped on her.

"Room 317 should be on the left, Sakura-chan," he teased.

But she didn't answer. He moved the roses to his side to look at her. "What's wrong?"

She blinked three times before shaking her head. "Nothing… I thought I saw… never mind, I must be seeing things."

Though curious, Sai decided not to pry so instead, he allowed her to lead him to Kimikos' room. They found her awake and sitting up, cradling a bundle in her arms; despite what the woman had told them, Kimiko was alone in the room. When she heard the door open, she looked up. A wider smile than the one she already wore tugged at her lips.

"Sakura-san, Sai-san," she said, happily. "Come. Meet my son."

While Sakura bounded up to Kimiko's bedside, Sai went to the table and placed the bouquet and the box of dumplings on top of it.

"He's so kawaii!" Sakura squealed and he smiled, watching her.

Kimiko looked up at him and waved him over with her hand. He walked closer next to Sakura and finally caught a glimpse of the sleeping child's features; he had inherited his mother's brown hair. But his pale skin definitely shouted, "Uchiha."

Sakura marveled at the child, her eyes shining with excitement and happiness as she stroked the baby's tiny hands.

"He inherited Sasuke-san's eyes," Kimiko said, looking at her baby with so much love.

At the mention of the Uchiha's name, Sakura looked up at her. She was smiling softly as she rocked the baby in her arms. Kimiko didn't say, "Uchiha-san"; she called him, "Sasuke-san." Sakura wondered why the sudden change but decided not to speak of it. Instead, she paid attention to the newborn.

"What are you naming him?" she asked.

"Kenji. Kenji Uchiha," she replied, proudly.

This time, Sakura couldn't help the gasp that emitted from her lips. Even Sai looked surprised. Kimiko giggled at their reaction.

"He visited me just now," she explained.

Sakura's eyes widened. So she wasn't hallucinating; she did see Sasuke emerge from the room earlier.

"And told me that he insist that the child take his name," Kimiko continued, smiling at her son. "He was going to take him, but I told him I refused to part with this little sucker so he let me to raise Kenji, with him on the sidelines of course." She turned her head to Sai. "He said it was because of you that he decided to finally acknowledge Kenji. Thank you, Sai-san."

At first, Sai didn't know how to answer. He never thought his confrontations with the Uchiha would change the way he treated Kimiko and their son. He raised a hand to his stomach. What was this he felt? He only felt this every time he had finished a mission. He somehow felt… a sense of accomplishment. He felt a hand slide into his and he looked down to see Sakura smiling, rather proudly at him. He smiled back before wrapping an around her waist.

"You're welcome, Kimiko-san," he said, smiling at her then at the child. "May I?"

Kimiko nodded and he reached out to stroke the baby's bald head. He stirred in his mother's arms and tiny eyes opened slowly. The shinobi stiffened, afraid that he had disturbed it and made it upset. But the child just blinked at him before smiling and giggling, cutely. And Sai couldn't help but smile back.

"Hello, Kenji-chan," he said. "My name is Sai."

Sakura's heart softened as she watched her boyfriend and decided to follow his lead. "And I'm Sakura."

"It's nice to meet you," they chorused.

The baby cooed, as if to say, "Nice to meet you too."

Sakura placed a hand over her swollen belly as Sai stroked her arm. She was looking forward to the time when she would finally meet her own child, their child.

* * *

Sakura Haruno was upset. She knew she shouldn't for the sake of the baby inside her belly who was due in just a matter of weeks. But she couldn't help it. She was really, really upset!

Sai was leaving for a mission again. She pouted by the bed as she watched him pack his things.

"Do you have to go?" she asked, sadly.

He nodded, a little solemnly himself. Team Kakashi was assigned a new mission to escort a known diplomat to the Land of Tea. There had been an assassination attempt on him by rogue ninjas from Kumogakure (he had done something to provoke them in the past) the last time he traveled, so now he needed some bodyguards to ensure his safety.

"But it's an A-rank mission!" she protested. "I don't want you getting yourself killed before the baby gets here!"

Sai stopped in the middle of packing a set of clothes into his backpack to gaze at her. A hand was over her stomach and she was watching him with worry etched into her beautiful features.

"I have to Sakura-chan," he explained. "There are no other teams available for this type of mission and Tsunade-sama refuses to send a Genin team." He approached her and settled himself on the bed next to her. "You know I don't have a choice." He kissed her temple and smiled as he took her hand. "I'll be back before you know it. I promise." He kissed her hand in reassurance.

She tried to smile but all she managed was a grimace. "Promise me one thing."

"Anything."

She took his face in her hands. "Don't die."

He grinned. "I won't."

"Promise me!"

He chuckled. "Alright. I promise I won't die."

"You better not," she said before pulling his face down to meet his lips.

A week or so later, Sakura found herself at the department store with Ino. The

* * *

blonde had returned from a mission the day before and missed shopping so much. She insisted that Sakura go with her and since the latter wanted to be distracted from missing and worrying about Sai, she obliged. They had spent two hours roaming the store with a basket full of clothes that the blonde would wear only once then give to charity.

"So is my godchild making any attempts to leave that hot belly of yours?" she casually asked.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I've been getting some fake contractions for the last couple of days, but Tsunade-shishou said it's pretty normal."

"Ahh…" Ino nodded. "Doesn't that usually mean that the baby would be arriving any day now."

Sakura looked down at her stomach. "I hope not."

Ino tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "Why do you hope not? Aren't you excited?"

"I am. It's just… I want Sai to be here. I don't want to give birth without him."

"Ah… I see where this is going." Ino stopped in her tracks to link her arm with the pinkette's. "You miss him, it's normal. But he'll be home before you know it. Okay? So hang in there, okay little guy?" she said to Sakura's stomach. "Wait 'til your Otou-san's home so your Okaa-san won't worry that much."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle. She smiled at her friend who was beaming. "Come on. I see a cute dress that's perfect for my next date!"

* * *

Sai was bored. Across from him was his blonde partner, who also looked like he'd rather face Akatsuki than this stupid public address. This was the third one they, Kakashi, and Yamato were required to attend so that they could watch over their client as he addressed the people of the Land of Tea and the services he wished to perform for their village. Thanfully, this was also the last one. In Sai's opinion, the man was talking garbage. This was his first time in the Land of Tea; how would he know what to do for its people? And from what he heard from the Hokage during the mission briefing, the diplomat was in danger of being ousted from his position, which was why he was desperate for supporters, wanting to go as far as the border of the Fire Country. Sai just wanted this mission over with so he could go home.

"… and so my dear citizens of the Land of Tea, I leave you today with more matters to think about," the diplomat was saying, confidently. "I assure you that I shall do everything in my power to improve your community and representation in the Fire Country. Thank you."

The people clapped respectfully and the diplomat ascended the stage, looking proud and accomplished. Sai and Naruto stood straight from their slouched position at the bottom of the stairs, ready to escort him back to his inn. They were to leave the Land of Tea that very afternoon to return to Konoha. There were no assassination attempts so far but better safe than sorry. The sooner he was back in the Leaf, the better he would be protected.

As soon they were done packing, the diplomat left the village with his shinobi bodyguards. Kakashi and Yamato took up the front while Sai and Naruto took the back. Their client spent the journey conversing with the two older shinobis while Naruto entertained Sai with stories. Right now, the dark-haired artist was very anxious to get home to Sakura; he could make it to the baby's birth after all.

Suddenly, Kakashi and Yamato stopped. Kakashi placed a finger over his lips, watching the surroundings carefully. It was quiet… Too quiet. Sai knew this wasn't normal. There should at least be a few noises from the animals. His fingers flew to his tanto and clutched it, ready.

Kakashi's eyes suddenly widened. "Everyone down!"

Instantly, Sai pressed himself to the ground, avoiding the sudden shower of arrows. One landed near him and he saw the moss-green tip; it was poisoned.

"What the hell?" Naruto swore loudly, taking out a kunai from under his sleeve.

"The assassins are here," Kakashi growled, pulling his mask aside to reveal his Sharingan. "It looks like they waited until the last minute to take him out.

No sooner had he said it when more arrows flew at the diplomat, who was huddled on the ground, shaking. Yamato managed to throw a shuriken to intercept the arrow.

"Sai! Naruto! Protect him at all costs!" Kakashi ordered. "Yamato, watch my back."

"Hai, senpai." Yamato placed himself next to Kakashi.

Meanwhile, Sai and Naruto positioned themselves over their client, tanto and kunai ready for the unseen enemy. Finally, they emerged from the trees, grinning and smirking, their eyes bloodthirsty as they stared at the man with vengeance.

Everything that happened next was a blur to Sai. He remembered some words exchanged between Kakashi and the leader of the rogue nins. Then, a battle ensued. He and Naruto blocked and attacked and blocked some more. Sai knew he had managed to kill a few; it was inevitable, their mission was to protect their client no matter what. It came to the point when each of them only had one enemy left.

Sai blocked his enemy's arm as he was about to stab with a katana. The artist raised his tanto but a sudden burst of pain in his side stopped him. His eyes widened before he fell onto his knees, gasping. The man grinned devilishly, showing him one of the poisoned arrows. He raised his katana to land a final blow on the Leaf shinobi when Naruto struck him at the back of the head before stabbing him to the heart. The now dead man crumpled on the floor, unmoving

Naruto fell to his knees in front of his friend, worry and desperation etched on his face. "Sai! You okay buddy?"

The artist tried to answer but couldn't find his voice. His body felt like it was on fire; his breath came in uneven pants. He felt a metallic taste in his mouth as his body hit the grass.

"Naruto, he's been poisoned! We have to take him back to the leaf!"

Who was that?… Oh, Kakashi… He was yelling…

"Wait, how about me?"

It was another voice. He couldn't recognize it.

"I'm sorry Daichi-sama, but at this point, we need to get our teammate some medical help. You're unhurt so you'll be fine."

"Your mission is to protect me!"

There was a growl. "Fine! Yamato, you take Sai! Naruto and I will stay here! Go! Now!"

Sai felt himself get picked up and suddenly, the wind was rushing at his face. All he could see were green… Green leaves… Like Sakura's eyes… All he could think of was her… Sakura…

_I'm not supposed to die, _he thought_._ _I'm supposed to go back to Sakura… I'm supposed to be there when our baby comes…_

_Sakura… _was the last thing he thought before everything went black.

**A/N: This was the hardest chapter to write because of the battle scene. I'm terrible at it! Anyhow, thanks for staying with me! By the way, one more chapter left before the epilogue. This has been an awesome ride! I thank all you reviewers for your amazing suggestions and your support! I wouldn't have gotten this far without all of you! Aishiteru!**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Chapter 14- A New Beginning**

**A/N: Wow. After that last chapter, a lot of people wanted to kill me. I received quite a number of threats and lawsuits. I was actually debating to myself on whether I should kill Sai or not. Finally, I came to this conclusion.**

The estimated lifespan of a shinobi was less than that of the average, non-shinobi person- much, much less. Sometimes, one would be a twelve-year old Genin for only a few months until one's life was taken; it was a rare occurence, but it happened. When a shinobi reached the age of forty, he was considered lucky; when he ended up dying of natural causes rather than during a mission, he was considered blessed by the Gods. Not many shinobis were blessed. Their world was determined by survival of the fittest; who was the strongest and who was the weakest; who had lady luck on his side and who didn't; who fought with a reason and who fought just for the sake of fighting.

Sakura knew all this. She knew that as a kunoichi, fighting for her village and for the people she cared about was her sole purpose. She knew that she might not live into a ripe old age and die through natural means as she always imagined. But that didn't mean that she was ready for it nor was she ready each time Fate took away someone precious to her; she had already lost her parents, the Third Hokage, Lady Chiyo. She wasn't ready to lose another loved one. But she should have known that Fate loved playing with her.

That morning, as she fixed the baby's room for what was probably the hundredth time, she heard the door bell rang. Immediately, her heart began racing excitedly; Sai was supposed to be due back any day now. He must have arrived already. Quickly, she rushed out of the room, paused for a few seconds to fix her hair in the hallway mirror then went to open the door. Instead of her boyfriend, she saw Yamato. He was disheveled and there were dark circles underneath his eyes. He gazed at her wearily.

"Taichou?" she asked, startled to see him. "You're back." She looked at him closely. "What's wrong?"

The wood jutsu user opened his mouth but no answer came out. Her eyes furrowed as her eyes ran over him. There were crimson stains on his sleeves and the front of his jounin vest: blood. The pounding of her heart increased with dread.

"D-Did someone get injured?" she stammered, worriedly.

Yamato tilted his head.

Sakura felt herself swallow. "W-Who?"

When he couldn't look her in the eye, she knew. Suddenly, she couldn't breath, her legs shook. She held the door frame for support. No, she mustn't get weak now. She was needed. Still shaking, she lifted her head, a hand over her stomach as she held back tears that threatened to fall.

"Take me to him."

* * *

Sakura expected broken bones. She expected a stab wound. Heck, she even expected that he was now blind! But no, nothing prepared her for this. Yamato didn't take her to a hospital room or an operating room; he took her to the Konoha Hospital's Poison Ward. Upon recognizing the hallways he was leading her through, she felt her feet stop and she couldn't go on. She didn't want to go on. If she did, then it made it real. It confirmed that Yamato was not making a mistake. However, she made herself go. She needed to go. Knowing the truth was better than lying to herself.

Tsunade was standing outside the door leading to the examining room, talking to a medic-in-training. She turned around as Sakura and Yamato approached. Without knowing it, the pregnant nineteen-year old broke into a run straight towards the door. But the female Hokage grabbed her by the arm before she could go in.

"Let me go!" the pinnkette screamed, struggling against her master. "I have to see him! I have to heal him! Let me go!"

Unshed tears now poured down her face. Tsunade pulled her student to her chest and allowed her to sob loudly into her shirt. She rubbed the young girl's back as soothingly as she could and whispered words of comfort. The medic-in-training stood next to the door, awkwardly while the Anbu captain looked on helplessly. Sakura was a very headstrong girl, it was rare to see her break down like this.

Sniffling one last time, Sakura lifted her head from Tsunade's chest. "L-Let me heal him, shishou. Please."

But Tsunade shook her head. "You know I can't allow you to do that, Sakura. You're pregnant and you need to conserve your chakra." She smoothed the girl's unruly pink hair. "Shizune is in there right now, removing the poison from his body." She lifted a thumb to rub away the tears on the pinkette's cheeks. "Please Sakura, don't go in there. Sai wouldn't want you to use your chakra to heal him."

Sakura hiccupped and breathed in deeply to calm herself before turning her head to the door. "Can I just see him?"

Tsunade, at first, looked unsure. Then, she nodded and placed a hand on Sakura's back. Slowly, she led the girl towards the door and Sakura peeked into the glass window. Shizune and two other medics were there. Sai's body lay on top of an operating table, his chest bare; he was shaking from palpitations. Shizune had her hands on a wound at his side, the medical green cloak of chakra removing traces of the poison. The other two medics were running to and fro, replacing aluminum bowls of poison with clean ones as Shizune continued to extract the poison from Sai's body.

Sakura couldn't control it anymore; she broke down crying again. Her hands pressed onto the glass with a desire to just touch him, just feel his skin against hers.

_Hold on Sai, _she called out to him, silently. _Don't let go! Don't you dare let go!_

Before she knew it, her breathing began coming out in broken pants. Her head swirled before everything went dark.

* * *

Konoha hospital was used to seeing ninjas run in and demand to see an injured friend. That was why they paid no mind to a silver-haired, masked and a blonde-haired whiskered jounin run up to the front desk and practically demanded where the Poison Ward was. The lobbyist showed them the directions and the two headed there, immediately. They saw Yamato sitting on a chair, his head in his hands outside the ward while Tsunade talked to a young medic. They waited until she dismissed the medic in and turn her head to see them.

"Obaa-san! Where's Sai?" Naruto demanded.

She sighed. "He's inside. Shizune's removing the poison from his body now. Once she's done, I'm going in to examine him."

While Naruto closed his eyes and breathed in relief, Kakashi asked, "Does Sakura know?"

Tsunade's face fell and she nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately, she's not taking it too well. She fainted just a while ago."

Naruto's eyes snapped open. "WHAT? Where is she?"

"I had her transferred to a room to rest. But she'll be alright."

"H-How about Sai?" he asked, worriedly.

Before Tsunade could answer, the door to the Examining Room opened and out came Shizune, removing the medical mask from her face. All faces turned to her, expectant. She looked at each of them before sighing.

"I managed to extract most of the poison from his body," she began.

As they all looked relieved, she shook her head. "But some of it remained behind. It was a fast-acting poison. Normally, poisons take their time, making sure to get to every point in the body, even the less important ones. But this one went straight for the vital organs and caused severe damages."

Tears pooled slowly from Naruto's closed eyes, his shoulders shaking in grief for his friend. Kakashi couldn't look at any of them and had turned to the wall, gazing at it blankly. Yamato was staring at the floor. Only Tsunade had enough strength to make eye-contact with her assistant.

"I managed to remove most of it before it reached his heart. But the damages to his other organs are already there. Right now, we're making an antidote to repair the damage as well as get rid of the remaining poison. But even after he has taken it, he would still be in a coma."

"C-Coma…?" Naruto repeated, opening his eyes. "When will he wake up then?"

Shizune shook her head, sadly. "I can't tell. Could be weeks, months, even up to a year."

"A year?" he yelled. "He can't be out for a year! Sakura-chan needs him!"

But Shizune had to shake her head again. "We'll put him in ICU for observation for a while. But that is all we can do for now. The rest is up to Sai; he has to fight the rest of the poison. It all depends on his willpower and inner strength. But I'm not going to lie to all of you; his chances of surviving this is fifty-fifty. I'm sorry."

And with that, she returned inside. Silence hung over them as each of Shizune's words sunk in and created a deep scar. Losing your life was one thing. Losing a friend and teammate was another. It was much, much harder to accept than the loss of your own life. They were in despair. They realized that Sakura was more than just in despair; she was devastated, broken-hearted. Their pain was nothing compared to hers. And they could do nothing else but grieve with her.

* * *

Days passed. Sai was finally moved from the ICU to a normal room. In those days, Sakura hardly returned home. She stayed by his side, making sure he was comfortable, even though he couldn't tell her if he was. She brought food everyday, food that only went to waste because he couldn't eat them. She talked to him about everyday things, even though she got no response. She did all this to assure herself that he was still there, that he didn't leave her yet.

Everybody was worried about her; even Sasuke and Kimiko. Sakura ate, slept, and practically lived at the hospital now. Ino and Naruto managed to persuade her once to go home and rest. But as soon as she got home and laid down on their bed, a whiff of Sai's scent on the sheets was enough to send her into another bout of tears. Everything in the house reminded her so much of him that on that same day, she returned to the hospital and never left his side again.

"You promised me Sai," she often told him, as she held his cold, unmoving hand in hers, her other hand over her stomach. "You promised you wouldn't die!" Tears would fall delicately down her cheeks as she kissed his knuckles. "You promised me!"

But Sai never responded. He remained unmoving, his eyes closed in slumber.

Naruto and Kakashi couldn't count the number of times they would find Sakura fast asleep in her chair by Sai's side, her hands linked with his. They did everything they could to comfort her, but their attempts were futile. Sakura appreciated their efforts though, flashing them a strained fake smile to assure them.

* * *

One day, Ino entered Sai's room to visit, bearing a bouquet of Cherry Blossoms for his bedside. The room was empty but the bathroom light was on.

"Forehead?" she called through the door.

It took a while but Sakura responded with a soft, "I'm here."

Satisfied, Ino bounded over to the bedside table. The flowers she brought last week were dying; she was right on time with the fresh batch. Humming to herself, she threw the wilted ones in the trash can and waited for Sakura to come out of the bathroom so Ino could replace the dirty water.

As she waited, she looked into Sai's unconscious face and sighed. "Will you wake up already?" she said to him in typical Ino fashion. "You're making her worry, you know. She's always sad and she hardly smiles anymore. And I know you hate it when she's upset. So wake up already, Sai, damnit."

Receiving no response, she sighed again and headed for the curtains to open them; it was so dark in the room, why didn't Sakura open them? She turned her head to see the bathroom door open slowly. Out came Sakura, looking pale.

"Finally, forehead," Ino said, pushing the curtains aside to reveal the bright sunlight. "You took ages in there." She turned and flashed her a teasing grin. But Sakura didn't return it, not even a fake one. In fact, she looked horrified. Ino's brow furrowed. "Sakura? What's wrong?"

Sakura bit her chapped lips before whispering, "I think my water broke."

Ino's eyes widened.

* * *

_He was in the dark. Darker than the darkest cave he had taken refuge in during a mission one time. Missions… he could hardly remember the last time he was on one. He decided to walk around. His footsteps made no noise on the invisible ground. Where was he? Was he alone in this lonely place? He didn't like it. He didn't like being alone here. It was an unpleasant feeling._

_He lifted his hand and scratched at his chest as his head took in the nothingness of his surroundings. "H-Hello?" he managed._

_No response, not even an echo. He continued to walk around this lonely place._

_

* * *

_

"Alright Sakura," Tsunade said, her voice shaking a little. "Your contractions are far apart so this might take some time. I just need you to relax, okay?"

Panting heavily, Sakura nodded, her eyes stinging with tears from the pain.

"I'll check on you in a few okay? Ino, stay here and keep her company. Give her some ice chips."

The young blonde nodded, rather nervously. Tsunade left the room and Ino grabbed the cup of ice chips and gave them to Sakura.

"You okay?" she asked, tentatively as Sakura chewed on the ice.

"D-Define okay," the pinkette retorted. "Do all childbirths feel like hell?"

Her eyes squeezed shut at another contraction and she gasped.

Ino bit her lip. "Tsunade-sama said to just relax."

"I'll relax as soon as this is over!"

* * *

"_Hello?" he tried again, unsure of where he was going. _

_There was no road to lead him in the right direction. Panic overcame his other-wise calm body. He had to get out of here! He needed to get out of here! As he thought of a million possible ways of escape, none which seemed promising, he felt a small hand slip into his own. Surprised, he looked down._

_It was a little dark-haired girl, her green eyes looking up at him as a smile played in her small lips._

_

* * *

_

"This is it, Sakura, you ready?"

Biting her lip, the pinkette nodded at her master.

"Alright then. Push!"

And Sakura pushed with all her might. Her body was screaming in pain. But she held on.

"Come on, Sakura! You can do it!" Ino encouraged, holding the pink-haired girl's hand, ignoring her friend's painful grip on her fingers. "Push harder!"

Sakura's cries of pain echoed throughout the emergency room.

Outside, Naruto stopped his pacing and Kakashi looked up from his orange book. Both winced at another scream.

* * *

"_Oh, hello," he said, surprised yet relieved to see another being in this dark place. _

_The little girl beamed at him, her smile so contagious that he felt his lips upturn. "Hi!"_

_Before he could say anything else to her, she began to walk, leading him to who-knows where. She didn't speak and neither did he. He allowed her to tow him through the never-ending darkness. Finally, he couldn't contain his curiosity anymore._

"_Who are you?"_

_The little girl giggled but didn't answer._

"_What are you doing here?"_

_Again, no reply._

"_Do you know a way out of here."_

_She shrugged. "There's only one way."_

_His heart filled with hope. "What way is that?"_

_She stopped before turning around to face him. "Wake up."_

_

* * *

_

"I can't do this!" Sakura cried in desperation. "Shishou, I can't!"

"Yes you can, Sakura! You have to!" Tsunade answered, worry etched into her face. "You're almost there. Breathe… That's it… And push! Push!"

Sakura screamed.

"Breathe… And push!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

* * *

_He blinked, not compreh__ending her answer. "Wake up?" he repeated._

_She nodded. "Yes, wake up. That's the only way out."_

"_But… How do I do that?"_

_She giggled. "You're so silly. You just open your eyes."_

"_But my eyes are already open."_

_She pursed her lips to the side, annoyed. Sai couldn't help but chuckle; she was so cute! She waved her hands in gesture for him to kneel down to her height. When he did, she placed her hands over his eyes and closed them._

"_Now," she said, her voice excited. "Wake up."_

"_I can't," he protested._

"_Try again. Just open your eyes and wake up…"_

* * *

Sai's eyes flew open. Sudden light blinded him and he closed them again. Where was he? The mission! Did they finish the mission?

Slowly and tentatively, he opened his eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the light. His gaze swept over the familiar hospital room; he had his share of broken bones and life-threatening wounds in the past so this was no news to him. By his bed, a bouquet of Cherry Blossoms lay on the bedside table; some of the petals had created a small pile on the floor. He turned his head to see a familiar figure, sitting by the window, reading a magazine.

"T-Tai… T-Taichou," he managed, hoarsely.

Yamato looked up and seeing him awake, leapt out of his seat and was next to him instantly, a glass of water in his hand.

"You're awake?" he cried, unable to keep the smile off his face. "Thank Kami! We thought you were a goner!"

Sai downed the water, thirstily. Yamato re-filled it a few more times until the artist was satisfied.

Wiping his lips, he managed a soft chuckle. "How long have I been out?"

"About a month or so."

A month…

Sai's eyes widened. "A month?" He tried to sit up, but the pain in his side caused him to fall back amongst the pillows. "S-Sakura-chan... Where is she? I have to see her!"

He tried to get up again but Yamato pushed him back down, gently. He shook his head. "You're not fully recovered yet. Stay put, I'll call a medic-"

"N-No! Sakura-chan! I want to see her!" the young artist insisted, his eyes flashing defiantly.

Realizing that Sai wasn't going to give up until he got what he wanted, Yamato sighed. "You can't see her right now. She's… occupied."

Sai furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean occupied?"

Yamato closed his eyes. "She's… in labor."

Sai's eyes turned big as saucers. "L-Labor?"

The Anbu captain nodded, opening his eyes. "Yes, for five hours now. She didn't want you left alone so she asked that I stand guard while she's giv… Sai! Stay put!"

Sai, now feeling more energetic, sat up and began removing the dextrose from his hand and the other wires stuck on him. Yamato tried to stop him, but the ex-Root member was too quick, despite being unconscious and bed-ridden for almost a month.

"No matter how many times you try to stop me, I'm going to see her," he growled, swinging his feet over the bed. His bare feet touched the cold floor; he tried to walk but stumbled a little. He grabbed on to the side table for support.

"Sai, you're not well enough yet!" Yamato protested, coming up next to him and attempted to bring him back to the bed.

But Sai yanked his arm from him and stumbled towards the door. "I don't care!"

"Sai, I'm warning you-"

"I WANT TO SEE HER!" His eyes blazed as he looked at Yamato.

The Anbu captain had to stop; he had never seen Sai so angry and determined before; yet, beneath those was so much concern and worry. He was insistent. Silently, Yamato watched as the young shinobi took step after agonizing step towards the door, his face wincing in pain every now and then. But he didn't stop until he reached his goal. His hands finally grasped the door knob and was about to turn it when Yamato's hand intercepted him. Sai turned to him in anger, but to his surprise, the older Anbu opened the door.

"You won't get to her on time if you go in the pace you're walking," he simply said, placing one of Sai's arm around his shoulders and led him out towards the Emergency Room.

* * *

"Sakura, keep pushing! You're almost done!"

"I'm… gasp… trying… gasp…!"

Naruto bit his lip as he resumed his pacing. Kakashi had been staring at the same page for five hours and was going nowhere. Hinata had arrived an hour ago and was now watching Naruto walk back and forth, nervously.

"N-Naruto-kun? Will you sit?" she asked, tentatively. "You'll only worry Sakura-chan more."

Another scream. The three winced and Naruto plopped down on the seat next to his girlfriend. "I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. I just don't like hearing Sakura-chan in pain."

Hinata smiled at him and placed an hand on his arm. "Sakura-chan's strong. She'll make it."

Another scream. More wincing. Naruto turned to her, grinning a little. "Don't scream that loud when it's your turn to have our baby, okay?"

At his words, the purple-haired girl blushed a deep red. Next to her, Kakashi chuckled.

"But Naruto-kun, I'm not p-pregnant," she protested.

The blonde just grinned. "I know. But that doesn't mean it won't happen." He took her hand in his and kissed her forehead.

"You're getting there, Sakura! You're getting there! That's it! Push!"

"Ahhhhh!"

Naruto groaned. "Lucky Sai. He doesn't have to listen to all this screaming."

"I could hear her from across the building. Sakura-chan has a powerful set of lungs."

Gasping in surprise, Naruto, Hinata, and Kakashi all looked up to see Sai, supported by Yamato, limping towards them, his pale, weary face set into his usual bright smile.

"S-Sai-san!"

"Sai! Buddy, you're awake!"

"Yamato, he's not supposed to be out. He's not well enough yet."

Yamato smiled sheepishly at Kakashi's scolding. "I tried to stop him, senpai. But he insisted."

Meanwhile, Naruto had ran up to them and took Yamato's position in supporting Sai.

"You woke up right on time, teme," he said, gleefully leading him.

"I'm glad I did, dickless," Sai replied.

Naruto was much too happy to care about the insult. Another loud scream met their ears. Instantly, Sai headed towards the doors of the emergency room.

"Wait, Sai," Kakashi called. "You're not supposed to-"

"One more push Sakura!" Tsunade's voice yelled. "I can see the head! Just one more push!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

The four shinobis and the kunoichi froze in place as Sakura's scream was overpowered by a loud, piercing cry of a newborn.

"You did it, forehead!" Ino cried from inside. "You did it!"

Without another word, Sai struggled forward, Naruto leading him. They pushed the doors open. Medics rushed to and fro, barely noticing the two shinobis' intrusion. But Tsunade's ever perceptive eye caught them.

"What in the world? Sai! You're awake? And what are you doing here? You're not well-enough! And Naruto, how could you bring him here? He's still weak!"

But Sai could barely hear her words. He was staring at the operating table, at a weary-looking Sakura, breathing heavily, her eyes closed, her beautiful, large forehead damp with sweat, a hand still linked to Ino's, who was looking at Sai like he had grown an extra head. Slowly, he untangled himself from Naruto's hold. He approached and the blonde kunoichi unlinked her hand from Sakura's and moved away to make room for him.

He came up to her bedside and took her hand, caressing it gently. Sakura opened her eyes. "S-Sai…?" she whispered, before her eyes rolled back as her head slumped to the side.

His eyes widened in panic. "Sakura-chan?"

She didn't move. He tried to shake her.

"Sakura-chan!"

Ino ran up next to him. "It's okay, she just fainted. It's normal after childbirth. Don't worry, she's fine."

Sai still held her hand in his and kissed her pale knuckles. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see an exhausted but smiling Tsunade.

"Would you like to see your daughter?"

* * *

When Sakura awoke, everything was dark. She no longer felt any pain, but her body did feel heavy, like a ton of bricks. Then, she realized that her eyes were closed. Carefully, she lifted her eyelids and blinked several times to adjust her eyes to the sudden light. Bright, morning sunlight filtered through the window and splashed across the floor of the room. Her green eyes caught sight of several bouquets and balloons on the table, bearing words of "Congratulations." She lifted her hand to her stomach; the bump was gone; so she didn't dream it, she really did go into labor.

The kunoichi continued to lie on the bed, unmoving. Did childbirths cause the expectant mother to hallucinate? Because she thought she saw Sai, wide awake and at her side right after she heard her baby's cries. As a medic, she knew this didn't happen at all. Maybe it was just her?

"Sakura-chan?"

Her breath caught in her throat. That voice… She hadn't heard that husky, melodic voice in so long. She turned her head and felt the tears spring to her eyes and her lips upturn into a smile. She lifted her arms.

"S-Sai-kun…"

He was in her arms before she could finish saying his name. How good it felt to finally feel his arms around her, his nose in her hair, his scent meeting her nostrils and sending shivers down her spine!

Sai began to shower her with kisses; in her hair, her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, then finally, her lips. He kissed her hungrily, as if he hadn't tasted her in so long, which was exactly the situation. His hands began to wander from her face down to her neck, her chest, her waist. She savored his taste, loving the shivers his touch caused to her skin. She realized that she missed him more than she thought. Her own hands began to wander from his neck, down to his chest, unbuttoning the top of the hospital pajama he wore, and slid her hands all over his muscular chest. Her fingers found the bandage covering his now-healed wound and she stroked it tenderly. He groaned in pleasure and she giggled in his lips.

When they pulled away, both were red-faced and out of breath. They didn't say word, just looked into each other's eyes, memorizing every feature of each other's face, every curve, every tiny scar.

Then, Sakura smiled before punching his arm. Hard.

Sai staggered back in alarm, his face confused as he rubbed the spot where her fist connected with his fragile bones. "What did I do wrong?" he complained.

Sakura crossed her arms and frowned. "You almost died! How dare you almost leave me? I was worried sick of you! I thought you were going to die! And why wouldn't you wake up when I begged you every single day-"

The rest of her statement was silenced by Sai's lips on hers. When he pulled away, she continued to glare at him. "Don't think that just because I love you means you can get away with almost leaving me, you have another thing coming at you Sai!"

He winced a little. "But… I came back didn't I? I woke up and I'm alive."

Sakura pursed her lips to the side before sighing. "Don't ever do that to me again, please."

"You know I can't promise that." He took her hand and kissed the top of it. "But I can promise that I'll always come back to you. Is that okay?"

She looked into his eyes before smiling, slightly. "I guess that's good enough."

Smiling, he engulfed her into his arms again.

"You know, I'm not apologizing for punching you," she said into his chest.

Chuckling, he replied, "I know."

When they pulled away, it finally dawned on Sakura that she was no longer pregnant. That she had given birth yesterday. "Sai-kun? Where's our baby?"

"I'll call a medic to let them know that you're awake so they can bring her in," he replied, stroking her hair.

Her eyes brightened. "Her? So I was right? It's a girl?"

He chuckled before kissing her hand. "Yes, you were correct. Wait here."

And with that, he momentarily left her bedside and exited the room. While he was gone, Sakura leaned back on the pillows, marveling at how time flies. One minute, she finds out she was pregnant after a night of being stupid and the next, she gives birth to a baby girl. But no matter how rocky things were at the beginning, she still felt blessed by Kami. She had Sai and now, their daughter.

At the corner of her eye, she saw Sai's sketchpad and pencil lying abandoned on a chair. A sketch of her lay unfinished and she smiled.

"They're bringing her in soon."

She looked up to see that Sai had re-entered the room. He returned to her bedside and settled himself next to her on the bed as she lifted herself from the pillows to sit up. He placed an arm over her shoulders, supporting her.

"What does she look like?" she asked, excitedly.

He chuckled. "I don't want to spoil it. You'll see. But I can assure you, she's beautiful, like you."

She blushed before smacking him in the arm, playfully. Then, she realized something else. "Wait, you were in a coma. You shouldn't be out and about yet!"

"You're the eight person who told me that. But don't worry. Tsunade-sama said that as long as I don't exert myself too much, I'll be fine. And my room's right next to yours, so I'll be near. Tsunade-sama also said that after three days or so, we can both be discharged and go home."

Just then, a knock came on the door and a medic came in, rolling a little cart. She smiled at the two before reaching into the cart and emerging with a pink bundle.

"Guess who came to see you, Okaa-san?" the medic said, coming over to Sakura's side.

Sakura bit her lip, nervously but excitedly. The medic placed the baby in her arms. Once assured that the new mother was holding her correctly, she excused herself to leave the new parents alone.

The kunoichi marveled at her baby, her daughter. She felt so light, so small and fragile that Sakura was afraid that her hold might break her. The baby had a small tuft of dark hair on her tiny head like Sai and her skin was fair like Sakura. When her daughter opened her eyes, curiously at her, she saw her own green orbs reflect back at her.

Sakura gasped. "Sai-kun… She's perfect."

Sai smiled, caressing his daughter's pink cheeks with his thumb. "I told you she was beautiful."

The pinkette was smiling as she held her daughter, rocking her. The baby let out a few moans, yawned cutely before closing its eyes and falling asleep. Sakura felt like everything in the world was finally right. She wanted to protect this wonderful, bundle of joy in her arms and always make sure she was happy and unhurt.

"What are we naming her?" Sai asked.

Sakura nudged her nose with her daughter's before saying, "Yume."*

Sai's eyes widened at her choice. Her smile faltered a little.

"You don't like it?"

He smiled before shaking his head. "No, I think it's perfect." He turned to the slumbering baby, caressing its arms. "Yume Haruno. I love it." He looked at Sakura. "Thank you."

"Eh? For what?"

"For this little one. I never thought I'd ever father a child and because of you, I can. I've never felt so happy in my entire life, Sakura-chan." He kissed her forehead before looking into her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too, Sai-kun."

They leaned in for kiss before a knock came on the door. Suddenly, Naruto bounded into a room, carrying a giant stuffed animal, an elephant this time; Hinata followed after him, bearing a box of odango. Next came Kakashi and Yamato, both carrying pink balloons.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto bounded up to her bedside then peered into the baby's sleeping face. "Aww… she's so kawaii! She looks a bit like you Sai!"

Sai smiled proudly. "Thank you, dickless. She has Sakura-chan's eyes though."

"Can I hold her?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Um…" She looked at Sai for advice.

He shook his head. "Let Sakura-chan hold Yume-chan for a while. You can hold her later."

"Yume? Nice name!" He turned to his girlfriend. "Hey, Hinata-chan, what should we name our baby in the future?'

The poor Hyuuga blushed scarlet. The others laughed.

For the first time in so long, Sakura felt like the world of shinobi wasn't so bad after all. After every death, there will always be life. After every dark, there is light. And now, she has another reason for surviving, for fighting, and for remaining a kunoichi.

* * *

After three days, just as Tsunade promised, Sai and Sakura were both discharged from the hospital. Sai helped Sakura pack her things before moving on to his. The medic was bringing Yume into Sakura's room in fifteen minutes so they could take her home. Sakura was looking forward to bringing her baby home; she had asked Ino to make sure the room was prepared when they arrived. Then, they could be a real family at last. And speaking of families…

After making sure she had packed all of Sai's art materials, Sakura pulled the zipper of his backpack closed. There weren't much to begin with; just a sketchpad and some pencils. Meanwhile, the artist was across the room, folding his clothes neatly before placing them inside a duffel bag. She leaned back on the hospital bed, lips pursed and arm crossed, just watching him. He as wearing his shinobi clothes as always while Sakura stuck to something more civilian; a white t-shirt shirt, red skirt, and her boots.

Finally, he must have noticed her gaze since he paused in the middle of packing and turned to her, an eyebrow cocked in question.

"Can I help you, koi?*" he asked, his head tilted to the side.

When she continued to glare at him, he walked over to her, still puzzled at her sudden bad mood. "Did I do something?" he asked.

That was when Sakura snapped. "Did something? _Did something?_"she shrieked that Sai had to step back in mild fear. "That's the problem, Sai! You're not doing something!"

Now, he looked even more confused than ever. "I'm not understanding-"

"No, of course not." She sighed, calming down. "This is not how I expected this scenario to turn out."

More curious than frightened of her, Sai stepped forward again and took her arms. "Have I done something to upset you?"

She looked up into him and bit her lip before placing a hand on his cheek. "Why don't you want to marry me? I mean, a couple of months ago, you practically demanded that I marry you. But after I confessed my feelings for you, you hardly brought up marriage!"

At her confession, Sai looked taken aback. "I… I didn't realize… I mean…" He breathed in deeply before saying, "Why would you want to marry someone like me? Someone who has no past, only a present. Someone who can't introduce you proudly to his family because he never knew them. Someone who can't even introduce you to the man he called his brother because he has no grave. Someone who doesn't even have a last name to offer you and his child."

Sakura only looked at him in disbelief. He was worried about those? Oh, Sai.

"Sai-kun, I don't care about those," she whispered, smiling at him in assurance. "I don't care if you don't have a past, we have a future ahead of us. And your family… Sai, I'm your family, Naruto is your family, Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taichou, Konoha, they're your family. And I'm sure wherever he is now, your brother would want you to move on and be happy with whatever you decide. And a last name? Seriously? You know what, you can take my last name, I don't care."

He looked surprised at her suggestion. She appeared sincere, which she was. "It is tradition for a woman to take the name of her husband."

She shrugged. "So?"

"It's… unusual for me to take your last name."

She giggled. "We're an unusual couple anyway, don't you agree?"

He thought about it then nodded.

She smiled. "Then it's settled! You're taking my last name. Sai Haruno… Hmm… Not bad-sounding, right? I'm pretty sure you can get used to it."

He tilted his head to the side, a little suspiciously. "What exactly are you trying to tell me, Sakura-chan?"

Her jaw dropped for a few seconds. She thought he was over this clueless-ness. Looked like she better clear it up. She took a deep breath. This was definitely not the scenario she had imagined. But it was better than nothing.

"Sai-kun?"

"Hai?"

She took another deep breath. "I don't have a ring right now, 'cause I didn't I know I'd be doing this. But you know what, I don't care."

"Sakura-chan-"

She placed a finger over his lips and shook her head. "I'm not finished. Sai-kun, you know how much I love you, no matter how idiotic or clueless or insulting you can be, not to mention the fact that I almost died of a heart attack with worry for you. But like I said, I love you. You make my heart beat faster than normal. I can't go one day without catching a whiff of your peppermint and ink scent, which I still have to figure out how it works because normally, it doesn't. You're there for me all the time, even if you accidentally offend me in the process. You make such a huge effort to make me happy all the time, and now that our daughter's here, I want to be a family, a _real _family with two-happily married couple who love each other to the bone with a beautiful child. Basically, what I'm trying to say is… Will you marry me?"

There she said it. She could feel the heat rush to her cheeks but, who cares? She said what she had to say, asked what she needed to ask, and now she waited for his answer.

He was speechless, shock spread through his pale face. Sakura's hear pounded against her chest in anticipation and her throat was suddenly dry; she swallowed.

Finally, after what felt like years of waiting, which was in actuality three minutes, Sai smiled. Her heart fluttered.

"No," he said.

Her face fell as she felt her world crash over her. She held back a gasp.

"O-Oh… I-I… I guess you're not ready then-"

He chuckled. "You didn't allow me to finish." He released her arms and stepped back. He reached into his pocket then went down on one knee before her. He showed her the black, velvet case she had seen months ago and opened it to reveal the beautiful, diamond-encrusted ring with the pink gems on either side.

Sakura couldn't help the tears that pooled at her eyes as he took her hand.

"I said 'no' because I want to do this the right way and in the scenario that I'm sure you imagined," he said, a wide smile playing on his lips. He knew her so well. "Even though you're loud, annoying, and your punches hurt like hell," she grinned at her offended face. "I love you. I love you so much, Sakura-chan, more than my own life." He removed the ring from its case, slipped it onto her finger, and kissed the top of her hand. He looked deep into her eyes, onyx to emerald. "Will you marry me?"

Though Sakura didn't want to be cliché, she couldn't stop her hand from flying over her mouth and the tears fall in happiness.

She nodded her head, vigorously before throwing herself at him. Sai fell on his back as he caught her in surprise.

"Yes!" she squealed, hugging him tightly around the neck. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

And before he knew it, she was kissing him deeply and passionately, right there on the floor.

Nothing else mattered, not his lack of a last name, not her powerful punches. All that mattered was them and the future that was to come.

_***Yume=Dream**_

_***Koi=My love**_

**A/N: Damn… that was hard to write, simply because I don't want to stop writing. When I first began this story because I just want the plot bunny to leave me alone, I thought, "Oh, it's just another story. I probably won't finish it anyway." But to my surprise, the more reviews and encouragement I got from you guys, the more I got inspired and began to focus so much on it until I fell absolutely in love with it. This is now my most cherished piece and I will sorely miss writing it and making you, the reviewers, happy. Because her readers' happiness is the writer's happiness; nothing could take that away from her. And thus, this is the last chapter. Next up is the Epilogue. I thank everyone who has stuck with this story from beginning to end. It would not have been possible without you… Damn, I'm going to cry so I better stop now. **

Kudos to **brendabond** for this chapter. You gave me the idea on your review for Chapter 8 so thank you for that.


	15. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

**The Color Pink**

**Epilogue**

It was one late afternoon during the beginning of the summer season. The village of Konoha was bustling with people going about their business, rushing to finish before darkness settled in. At the park, the number of playing children began to dwindle as parents came to pick them up to be taken home. Soon enough, only a small number remained playing, among them a young boy with dark brown hair and the trademark, dark eyes of his clan, and a young girl with raven-black hair and soft, green eyes. The boy was showing the girl some new moves that his father taught him only a few days ago and his female friend was watching him with awe as she attempted to copy his moves.

A young man, wearing a black midriff-shirt with matching black pants strolled into the park and paused a few feet from the playing children, an amused smile evident on his face. He watched them for a few more minutes before walking closer.

"Yume-chan."

The little girl turned her head from throwing a plastic shuriken that her Kakashi-oji had given her. At the sight of the man, her eyes lit up and she gasped loudly. With all of her seven-year old speed, she ran to him. Sai went down on one knee and caught her in his arms.

"Daddy! Welcome home!" she squealed, hugging him tightly around the neck. "I missed you sooooooo much!"

Sai chuckled. "I missed you too, princess." He broke away from her and brushed a strand of dark-hair, similar to his own, behind her ear. "Why don't we pick up Mommy from work and surprise her?"

Giggling, she nodded before turning around. "Gomenasai Ken-chan. But I have to go now."

The little boy's face fell and he pouted. But before he could answer, a different voice nearby said, "You can play with her again tomorrow, Kenji."

Surprised, the young boy turned his head to see his own father, waiting for him. "Dad!" he exclaimed, happily.

"Your mother wants you home now," Sasuke continued, a soft smile on his face as he turned to the little girl. "He'll be here tomorrow."

Kenji turned to his friend, a hand behind his head. "I guess I have to go too, Yume-chan. I'll teach you the rest tomorrow, 'kay?"

The little girl smiled and nodded. "Okay. Mata ashita!"

The little boy beamed at her before turning on his heels and running towards his father. Sasuke took his hand and ruffled his spiky brown hair.

Before leaving, the older Uchiha turned to Sai. "Haruno," he said, in greeting.

"Uchiha," Sai replied with a tilt of his head.

The two flashed each other an awkward smile before Sasuke led his son away. Kenji waved at Sai and Yume before turning his attention back to his father, talking excitedly.

Unlike Sasuke as a child, Kenji was more upbeat and less sullen. Though he was a little bit shy like his mother, Sai had to admit, the kid had plenty of talent; most likely a prodigy like his Uncle Itachi. From what Sai heard from Naruto, Sasuke was very much welcomed to spend time with Kenji while Kimiko was working. She had resigned from her job at the nightclub and the grocery store and was now working full-time in the Hokage office as the assistant treasurer, on Sakura's recommendation. Kimiko was in actuality, very intelligent which showed in the improvements in Konoha's finances over the years. Meanwhile, Sasuke had been raised to Jounin rank two years after Kenji was born. When he wasn't away on missions, he was teaching his son, from basic kunai throwing to the Katon Goukakyuu No Jutsu; also, the boy's sharingan had begun to make appearances so Sasuke was teaching him how to activate and suppress it as well. Sakura and Sasuke were now on speaking terms because of Kimiko and their children's friendship, but Sasuke and Sai? They were still awkward around each other, though they learned to at least smile in the other's presence.

Yume tugged at her father's hand and Sai looked down to smile at her.

"How was your mission, Daddy?" she asked, bouncing excitedly. "Did you fight a lot of bad guys?"

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "It went well. No, I didn't fight any bad guys, I just escorted the daimyo and his family to their summer home."

It was a lie; Sai and his eight-man team (consisted of Team Gai and the old Team Asuma) were almost ambushed on the way, but his daughter didn't have to know that. Though she was obviously going to begin her training as a kunoichi in the fall, he didn't want to expose her yet; she was much too cute and innocent and Sai wanted her to remain as such.

"Now let's go see Mommy."

"Can I get a piggy-back ride?" Yume asked, tugging at his hand.

"Of course, my princess."

Sai removed his backpack and slipped it over Yume's own shoulders before kneeling down to her height. She cautiously climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her legs. Together, they headed to Konoha's hospital.

"Did you have fun at the park today?" Sai asked.

"Uh-huh. Ken-chan taught me new things you can do with a shuriken. And he showed me how to walk up a tree. I almost got it, but I fell down."

Sai's heart almost stopped. "Were you hurt?"

"Nuh-uh. Ken-chan caught me. He was the one who got hurt, but there was a really nice lady who helped him."

Sai breathed in relief. "I see."

It amazed Sai how strong the friendship between the two have developed in just two years. Yume was the one to approach the little Uchiha first when she saw him playing by the sandbox alone two years ago; they were instant friends. And his daughter was a bit mature for her age; Sai and Sakura could leave her in the park for a few hours, tell her to stay put until they returned and she would do it. But then again, their home was only across the street from the park and Yume knew where the spare key was. She had quite a temper too; there was an incident a year ago when a young boy was shamelessly teasing her best friend, Kenji Uchiha because his parents weren't together. And since Sakura had begun teaching her daughter at the tender age of five how to enhance her strength using chakra… Let's just say that Sai and Sakura had to pay for the young boy's medical bills to make up for their daughter's behavior. At seven years old, she had become a mini-version of Konoha's heavy-fisted medic nin.

Father and daughter reached the outside of the hospital. Sai lifted Yume from his back and placed her on the ground before taking her hand to lead her inside. The little girl bounced along-side him, continuing to narrate her day's events. Sai could only smile as he listened, asking the occasional question and pitching in his own thoughts.

His smile widened at the sight of his wife standing by the front desk, clipboard in hand as she talked to a fellow medic, her bubble-gum pink hair pulled back in a tight bun, a serious look on her face. As he and Yume approached, Sakura turned her head and seeing him, her face lightened up and she ran up to him.

"Sai! You're home!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

He kissed her cheek and buried his face in her the crook of her neck to breathe in her scent. "I missed you too, koi."

She smiled up at him before feeling a tug on her skirt. Her daughter was vying for her attention, now. Laughing softly, the kunoichi lifted her into her arms and nudged her nose with hers. "Did you have fun at the park with Kenji, Yume-chan?"

The little girl nodded her head vigorously. "Uh-huh! And Ken-chan taught me a lot of new things today!"

Sakura laughed. "I'll be glad to hear about them later." She placed her daughter back on the floor and turned to Sai. "I'll be done in about ten minutes. Think you can wait that long?"

He nodded. "I'll take her across the street for ice cream then."

At his proposal, Yume clapped her hands in delight. "Yey, ice cream!"

But Sakura frowned. "Sai, she can't have dessert before dinner."

Yume pouted and tugged at her mother's skirt again. "Please Mommy? Please, please, please?"

"Please, Sakura-chan?" Sai added, a similar pout on his face.

Sakura still could not believe the similarity between the two, but then again, Yume took after Sai in looks while she took after Sakura in personality and kunoichi skills, although the kid had some art skills as well, courtesy of her father.

The pinkette sighed and bent down to her daughter's height. "Tell you what. Why don't you and Daddy buy a tub of ice cream and we'll have it for dessert tonight?"

Yume's face brightened and she clapped her hands again, jumping up and down in happiness.

Sai grinned and kissed Sakura's forehead. "We'll be back in ten." And with that, he took Yume's hand and the two left the hospital, Yume waving to her mother.

Sakura watched them disappear at the entrance before turning back to Isuzu, who was watching the scene with amusement.

"She is so like you," she said, as Sakura walked back to her. "The resemblance between her and Sai is amazing."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

Isuzu giggled then flashed her a knowing look. "So, did you tell him yet?"

A small smile found its way to the pinkette's lips. "Nope. I'm kinda waiting for the right moment."

Isuzu raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Um… I don't know yet." She laughed a little. "Well, I better have this report done before my husband and daughter come back with a tub of ice cream."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the ice cream shop across the street, Sai waited patiently while Yume chose a flavor among the various tubs of ice cream lined up inside the freezers. He watched her eyebrows furrow as she bit her lip, her eyes examining each tub through the glass doors. The artist inwardly chuckled; she reminded him so much of Sakura whenever she was thinking hard about something.

A bell jingled as the shop door opened. Sai heard his name being called and turned his head.

"Hey, buddy! Nice to see you back!" Naruto was grinning at him, one hand raised in greeting while the other held a stack of books; a heavy looking backpack was strapped to his shoulders. "How was the mission?"

Sai smiled back at him. "It went well, a few interferences at the beginning, but successful all the same. How's the studying?" He gestured to the books.

As of last year, Naruto was declared as Tsunade's official heir to the Hokage position. At first, the council was very reluctant about her choice; Naruto was a known troublemaker as a child, did not make Chuunin until he was seventeen, and was the host for the nine-tailed fox. However, Tsunade pointed some things out; he saved the Sand's Kazekage from Akatsuki and Konoha from Pein at sixteen, became a toad sage at seventeen, and passed the Jounin exams only months after. And also, Naruto Uzumaki worked hard; he studied Konoha's history, the past Hokages, and every political affair in existence; he faithfully attended every political meeting alongside Tsunade, offering wise opinions and even learning to control his emotions so that he didn't explode when something contradicted with his beliefs. Seeing the determination in every fiber of the blonde's being as well as taking his accomplishments into account, the council have agreed to give him a chance. Tsunade was prouder than any biological mother.

In response to Sai's question, Naruto rolled his eyes and shrugged. "A bit hard. But I'm managing. Obaa-san's having the yearly meeting with the other Kages next week and she's taking me with her to Suna. I gotta prepare for that."

"I see. What about Hinata? She's not supposed to go anywhere, right? My wife will have your head if she heard you're making Hinata travel in her state."

Right before Naruto was declared Tsunade's heir, he had finally proposed to Hinata. A month later, they were married and after another month, Tsunade's declaration swept throughout Konoha. Naruto's wife was very supportive of his aspiration; she had given up her birthright as head of the Hyuuga clan and instead, passed it on to her little sister, Hanabi. As soon as the eighteen-year old was declared the official head, her first project was the eradication of the Branch House; she wanted the Hyuuga clan to become one House. Her declaration had not been approved by the Hyuuga elders as of now, but she was steadily gaining supporters. She did, however, manage to eradicate the use of the Caged Bird Seal, finally freeing her older cousin, Neji from it as well as approving his request to marry Tenten. Hinata couldn't have been more proud of her little sister. And to add to her happiness, she was declared twelve weeks pregnant and her husband was inspired a lot more to make it to his dream of becoming Hokage.

"Yeah but we talked about it." He began to look a little worried. "She said she'll be fine, she's only three months along. And I guess I just have to trust her judgment."

"Is she moody yet?"

"Ugh… you tell me. Now I know what you were going through with Sakura-chan."

"Welcome to the world of parenthood."

Naruto grinned. "Everything's finally falling into place."

"That it is." Sai patted him on the shoulder, a smile on his face. "I'm happy for you, my friend. Everything you've ever dreamed of are finally coming true. I never thought I'd ever say this, dickless, but I'm proud of you."

"Aww… Thanks, buddy." Naruto grinned at him before looking around. His blue eyes caught sight of his goddaughter. "Hey, you didn't tell me Yume-chan was here. Hey, Yume-chan!"

Gleefully, he bounded up to the little girl. Sai watched as his daughter's face lit up at sight of the godfather who spoiled her more than her parents did (second only to her godmother, Ino). The artist wasn't lying; he really was proud of his idiotic, blonde friend. He had matured well but still retained his bubbly and positive personality. As far as Sai was concerned, Naruto deserved everything he was currently gaining. Sometimes, he even thought about not calling him 'dickless' anymore; but where was the fun in that?

* * *

That night…

"… Yume-chan, finish your beans."

"But Mommy, I want ice cream now."

"Finish your beans first," Sakura said, firmly.

Pouting, the dark-haired six-year old picked up the remaining beans with her chopsticks, shoved them into her mouth and chewed quickly before swallowing.

"I'm done!" she announced, proudly. "Ice cream?"

Next to her, Sai chuckled and stood up. "How many scoops for the princess?" he asked, opening the fridge and taking out the tub of chocolate ice cream.

"Two please, Daddy."

Sai placed two scoopfuls into a bowl and Yume took it happily and spooned some into her eager mouth. The chocolate created a smudge on the side of her lips. Laughing softly, her father took a napkin and wiped the smudge away.

By the sink, Sakura watched the warm scene, a gentle smile on her face. It still amazed her how easily Sai had adapted to his responsibilities as a father; and the pinkette could see that he greatly enjoyed it. Since her birth, Sai loved their daughter more than anything in this world (besides Sakura, of course). He doted on her and spoiled her immensely, something that Sakura found both adorable and annoying. She couldn't count the number of times she had to punch the living daylights out of her husband for allowing their daughter to stay up late or have dessert before dinner (but of course, he always made it up to Sakura afterwards).

"I'm gonna watch T.V., now," Yume announced, jumping off her chair, her bowl of ice cream in her clutches.

Without another word, she left the kitchen for the sanctuary of the living room. Sakura and Sai watched her leave for turning to each other. They were finally alone. Smirking, Sai was in front of his wife in three strides and the two were in each other's arms. He was kissing her hungrily and passionately, his hands wandering at every piece of skin he could touch. He missed her so much.

Sakura gasped when his lips came down to her neck and nibbled at the soft flesh. She let out a soft moan. "S-Sai-kun… N-Not here… Y-Yume…" She pushed at his chest, gently.

He pouted.

"Later tonight, I promise," she said, nudging her nose with his before turning her attention to the dishes.

They washed the dishes in silence together, smiling at the occasional giggle from the living room.

* * *

Whenever Sai returned from long missions, he and Yume usually caught up during the night where they would either paint or sketch together in the living room; this was the only time Sakura would allow their daughter to stay up a little later than normal. So now, here they were, father and daughter doing art; he was seated on the couch with his sketchbook while she sat cross-legged on the floor in her pink pajamas with her crayons. From the corner of his eye, Sai watched as a red crayon slipped from his daughter's fingers as she raised two knuckles to rub at her eyes. The artist smiled, placing his sketchbook aside.

"Is someone sleepy, now?"

Yume shook her head before a yawn took over. Sakura entered the room with a glass of milk right on time to see the yawn and shook her head, clucking her tongue.

"Someone is definitely sleepy," she said, placing the glass of milk in front of her daughter. "Drink up so we can get you to bed."

Obediently, Yume grabbed the glass and downed it without pausing. She smacked her lips before releasing another yawn.

"Time for bed, princess," Sai coaxed,

"Good night, Daddy," Yume said, sleepily, climbing into his lap to give him a kiss.

Sai kissed her forehead in return. "Good night, my princess."

Sakura held her hand out and Yume slipped her tiny hand into it, the other hand rubbing her eyes. Just like every night, Sakura helped her brush her teeth, combed her hair in front of the mirror (while Yume's eyes kept closing and opening then closing again), then tucked her into bed.

She took the stuffed fox Yume was fond of and tucked it into her arms.

Yume smiled sleepily at her. "I love you, Mommy."

Sakura returned the smile as she stroked Yume's dark hair. "I love you too, sweetie." The pinkette kissed her daughter's cheek before pulling the covers up to her chin. "Good night. Sweet dreams."

She got up to leave when Yume's arm shot up and grabbed her hand. "Wait! Can you tell me a story please?"

"But aren't you tired, sweetheart?"

Yume shrugged. "Please, mommy?"

She flashed her cute, green puppy eyes at her mother. Eyes that Sakura could never resist. Sighing, she settled herself on the bed next to her daughter.

"What kind of story do you want to hear?" she asked, stroking the mass of dark hair.

Yume yawned and snuggled up to Sakura's chest. "The time you met Daddy. I like that story."

Sakura smiled. "Alright then." She leaned back on the headboard, an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Daddy and I met while your Naruto-oji and I were looking for a new teammate. He was chosen for our team and when Naruto-oji and I first met him, he was a little mean to us. But that was because he didn't know how to act around us or anybody for that matter."

"You found him really handsome, right?" Yume asked, between yawns, her eyes closed.

Sakura giggled. "Yes, I did. He was very handsome. But, I didn't like him at first and I always punched him."

"Daddy said the first time you hit him, it really hurt. But he was impressed because you surprised him."

"Uh-huh. And he never underestimated me ever since." Sakura giggled at the memory. "He helped me, Naruto-oji, and Yamato-oji try to rescue Sasuke, Kenji's father. He was taken by a really bad shinobi and trapped in an underground cave. Daddy was the one who found him first but the bad shinobi got in the way and we failed to rescue him. But Daddy gained our respect for trying to help us."

Sakura had to leave out the more mature parts of the story, but she and Sai agreed that if she was still interested in the future, they would tell Yume the whole story.

"After that, we all became friends and-"

Sakura stopped and smiled down at her slumbering daughter. Her face was so peaceful and so cute that the pinkette couldn't help but squeal in delight on the inside! Gently, she untangled Yume's hold around her waist, placed them around her stuffed fox instead then planted a kiss onto her forehead. She tiptoed to the door and turned back once to survey the room.

When Yume turned four, Sai painted a green meadow and pink butterflies on the once-bare white walls. In addition to the typical dolls and tea sets that a little girl was prone to have, Yume also had a bunch of plastic shuriken and kunai, courtesy of Kakashi. There was also a toy medic kit, given by Tsunade for the child's fifth birthday, next to a couple of stuffed animals wrapped in bandages. In another corner, crayon drawings and finger-paint paintings were taped to the wall next to a table with unfinished art projects.

Sakura smiled one last time before stepping out of the room and closing the door. As she walked through the hallway leading towards the living room, she paused to look at the portraits that hung on the wall; there were three. One was the family portrait that Sai had drawn while she was still pregnant with Yume; he finished it a few days after they left the hospital and he added color as well; it looked more like a photograph than a sketch. The other was a recent family photo, taken shortly after Yume turned six; Yume was smiling widely, her dark hair in pigtails while her parents stood on either side of her, an arm around her shoulders. In between these two was Sai and Sakura's wedding portrait; Sakura wore an elaborate white kimono with a cherry blossom design in pink thread, her hair in a simple up-do pinned with a satin, fuchsia hairpiece pinned to the side; Sai stood next to her an around her waist, wearing a simple white kimono with a grass design in black thread. Both wore happy wide smiles, their eyes full of love and contentment.

The wedding was simple. Only their closest friends and acquaintances attended; Naruto, Kakashi and Yamato; Teams Kurenai, Gai, and Asuma; Tsunade and Shizune; Konohamaru; the Sand siblings (Gaara's own wedding was set three months after); old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame; and Kimiko and her newborn son (Kimiko mentioned that Sasuke wanted to attend but a mission interfered; but Sakura knew the truth, he asked for a mission that would take him out of the village for a couple of days). They had the reception at a small but fancy restaurant where Sai and Sakura shared their first dance as husband and wife and kissed several times to clinking glasses. Later on, when Sakura threw the wedding bouquet to a throng of unmarried women as tradition stated, an unsuspecting Ino caught it (for some reason, the blonde wasn't among the eager group because she was busy babysitting her new goddaughter; she had just handed the baby over to Naruto so she could refill her glass of champagne when the bouquet of cherry blossoms and baby's breath flew out of nowhere and landed in her outstretched hands). Ever since, Konoha began seeing her in the company of none other than her teammate, Chouji Akimichi.

Smiling at the memory, Sakura touched the picture as a hand wandered to her middle.

She found Sai still sitting on the couch, examining one of Yume's drawings. He looked up when she approached and settled comfortably on his lap. Wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer, he buried his nose in her hair and breathed in deeply. Sakura shivered in delight as she leaned into his touch. He showed her their daughter's drawing.

"Look at this."

The pinkette took the drawing and examined it. "Wow, she's improving."

Yume had drawn a dog who looked a little bit like Pakkun, forehead protector and all. The silver-haired jounin had become so fond of the little girl that he sometimes volunteered to baby-sit if both Sakura and Sai had to leave for missions (Sakura warned him that if he dared read that insolent orange book in front of her daughter, she would get a restraining order against him). He was watching her yesterday and to Sakura's knowledge, Kakashi left Yume with Pakkun so he could run to the store and buy milk for her cookies.

Sai began planting kisses on a sensitive spot at the back of Sakura's neck. She let out a soft moan. He was driving her crazy!

"You did promise me, you know," he whispered, seductively.

A part of her wanted to just lean back and enjoy his caresses but the other part was yelling, "Tell him now!"

So she reluctantly pulled away from his embrace and stood up, looking a little nervous. He looked up at her, confused. Did his actions somehow offend her? But she always liked it when he touched her like this.

"I-I have something to tell you," she stammered, fiddling with the front of her shirt.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Okay?"

He waited. She didn't say a word.

"What is it?" he asked.

Biting her lip, Sakura reached into her pocket. Her hand emerged with a tiny, white object.

"What is that?" he asked, more curious now than ever.

Taking a deep breath, she handed it to him. He stood up and took it; her heart began pounding against her chest, anxiously awaiting his reaction. He just looked at the white stick, blankly as he tilted his head to the side.

Finally, after what felt like years of waiting, he said in a soft voice, "This is a pregnancy test."

She swallowed. "Yes."

He blinked. "It's positive."

She bit her lip. "Yes."

He looked up at her. "We're having another baby."

_He's not smiling! Why isn't he smiling? _Sakura thought in panic.

Before she could open her mouth to answer, Sai's hand shot out and grabbed her by the waist. She squeaked in surprise but he had already captured her lips with his. A hand stroked her cheek as the other caressed her stomach. She smiled into the kiss as she felt herself melt into him. The things Sai did to her… she often wondered what she had ever done to deserve him, this happiness she felt with him.

He finally pulled away for air, leaning his forehead against hers as they both breathed heavily. "We're having another baby," he whispered, a wide, joyous smile playing on his lips. "Yume's having a sibling. We're having a baby."

Sakura giggled and nodded. "Yes, we are."

"How far along are you?"

"About eight weeks now."

"Eight weeks…" Smiling, he went down on his knees to place his ear against her stomach before pressing his lips against it. "Hello little one. I'm your Otou-san."

Sakura giggled again and pulled him up to kiss him again. Sai lifted her into the air and twirled her around, happily, his lips never leaving hers.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips. "I love you. I love you. I love you. You make me so happy, Sakura-chan. If I could marry you again, I would."

At his words, Sakura flashed him a seductive smile. "We can't exactly relive our wedding day," she whispered against his ear as she played with the collar of his shirt. "But we can relive our wedding night."

At first, he appeared to be puzzled. Finally, her meaning dawned on him when she tugged on the bottom of his shirt.

"Well, you did promise me…" he replied, equally seductive. "And I missed you so much in the five days I was gone."

Without another word, he placed an arm underneath her legs and before she knew it, she was in his arms and he was carrying her towards their bedroom, like he did during their wedding night. He laid her down on the bed as she giggled like a teenage girl.

Before he could tug on the zipper of her shirt, she stopped his hands and looked into his eyes. "I love you, Sai."

He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you too, Sakura."

To think that this all began with one night. One night was all it took for their lives to change. One night was all it took for their hearts to become one, to create a new life that brought them the happiness that they searched for, the love that they longed for, and the life that they dreamed of. It was an accident, yes. But it was an accident that they no longer regretted. They went through a lot, disliking each other then loving each other without realizing it 'til they almost lost the one thing that kept them together. Neither planned this. This wasn't part of the future that they envisioned. But you know what? This future was so much better.

**A/N: Kudos to ScreamingFangirl122, kisukebenihime, and Sesshy'smate2012.**

**A/N: Here it is. The final ending. I really hope you all enjoyed the ride as much as I did. I'm really going to miss writing this story and receiving words of support and encouragement from all of you. You know what? When inspiration strikes me, maybe I'll write some one-shots based on this story; maybe some father/daughter moments, mother/daughter moments, even the arrival of Sai and Sakura's second child, maybe some Yume/Kenji and… oh, I don't know, Sasuke/Kimiko? But it won't be after some time because I'm starting college this year and I really want to do well on my first semester. But when I have the time and plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone like one did with this, I will definitely write. Thank you so much everyone! This is caithzadz, signing off for the last time (for now). It was a wonderful ride. Aishiteru!**


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